A New Beginning
by CrownOfDasies
Summary: Left to finish the impossible, Kakashi goes back to where it all began. With everything in utter destruction in the future, Kakashi was bound into an unforgettable fate of being the one to know of future happenings. Using his past ghosts as a guide to overcome guilt to peace, everything will never be the same. TimeTravel Fic. Kakashi/FemNaruto
1. Chapter 1

A searing pain crossed Kakashi's arm as he ran alway from the offenders. They had taken everything away from him-his precious love. The grief was seizing to kill him, but this chance, this precious scroll held tightly into the palms of his hands, was a way to get out and save them all. Everyone, including the villagers, to the shinobi, to the Hokage, and especially to his precious love.

Kunai and shuriken were equally distributed towards him, but the chunin-leveled Zetsu's had no chance for him. He continued to avoid the kunai and shiruken that ran past him and thought of the time he had gotten the scroll.

**Flashback**

'_Haaa, haaaaa.', the blond Godaime Hokage breathed loudly as she spat out blood. Her robes caught on the color crimson, as the Great Shinobi War peaked. 'Kakashi, I have one more mission for you to complete, without a doubt, in my last request.', she paused for a second._

_'Of course,Tsunade-sama, what can I do for you?', Kakashi stated obediently._

_She motioned for him to go down, as she was on the floor, laying on her back. 'Because of this gruesome war, both of us had instated our emotions, as we are all shinobi. However, both you and I have experienced the loss of our loved ones, coincidentally being the same person.', Kakashi flinched as he remembered Naruto._

_'I order', Tsunade commanded Hokage-like, even in her condition,'you, one of the last, Kakashi, shinobi of the Hidden Leaf to go back-back to where it all started.', Kakashi looked confused until Tsunade placed a medium-thick scroll in his hands._

_He then realized what the scroll was with the beautiful calligraphy placed atop it. 'Wa-wait, are you sure this is okay?', he asked her looking at the scroll placed in his hands._

_'Of course I am, you should know more better than I that you are the only one that could complete this mission. You are the one, after all, that helped her create this deadly and impossible contraption.'', Tsunade said slowly while catching her breath._

_Kakashi looked at the scroll which he and Naruto had created, thinking that this will be the answer to peace between the nations. The scroll was a time traveling pocket to the past-an intricate masterpiece that only she, Naruto, a seals mistress of her caliber, could only create. Kakashi had only helped with the theory and basics, a very small and limited area compared to what Naruto had done._

_However, as Kakashi did see the process of which the scroll could do with his Sharingan, a major part to play in the time traveling process, only him and Naruto were the only ones who could do it-but only together, in which to consequences can be fatal._

_'But Tsunade-sama, Naruto had told me that only she and I could do so only if we both cross together.'_

_'Even though the consequences, Kakashi, that Gaki had never recalled death as a consequence. This had shown her true power as one of the greatest seals mistress, over most seals masters included, ever created into mankind, Kakashi.', then she added,'We only have a month, Kakashi, until Madara conquers us all with his Magenkyo Sharingan. What's all left is the preparation of it, then all of us will lose ourselves.'_

_Kakashi's eyes widened in realization as he finally answered to Tsunade's request,'Of course, Tsunade-sama, I shall complete this mission.', he said bowing down in respect._

_'Bow not, Kakashi, but be sure to complete this mission without fail, or the consequences will be entirely more fatal than that of death. Just remember the Will of Fire, and I'm sure you will be just fine.', she said with a last smile, as her genjutsu failed. The moments of death proceeded to her. Army's of White Zetsus' appeared towards both Tsunade and Kakashi. 'Go, Kakashi, and be sure to recapture her heart-and don't forget to give this to Sensei!', she said jokingly, yet sternly. Tsunade died as the Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato, with the Will of Fire coursing through her veins, as she too, likewise many others, died for her village._

**End of Flashback**

Kakashi panted hard as he saw no end to the White-Zetsus'_. 'Can I really do this by myself?', _Kakashi doubted in his mind.

The White-Zetsu's centered around Kakashi, leaving him with no plan to think out. Kakashi had no choice but to start the scroll, leaving only three minuets to begin. Enhancing chakra solely into his eyes, the Sharingan appeared. Kakashi released the scroll from the palm of his right hand and opened the scroll with a chakra enhanced-blood offering, in which only either Naruto's or his will only match up to.

_Two minutes remaining_

After unraveling the long scroll, Kakashi put both his left and right hand on his section of the scroll, leaving Naruto's left section blank. Biting his thumb again, he wrote down intricately in calligraphy the remembered symbols that Naruto had shown him to use for his right-part of the scroll.

_One minute remaining_

Looking around, Kakashi could see the White-Zetsu's' pass through the horizon the hills made. Sweat dropped down Kakashi's face from his brow as he calmed himself down. Using the remembered amount of hand seals, Kakashi raced exceptionally fast through the fifty-three hand seals. Panting hard from the extended use of his Sharingan, Kakashi made his way to the center of the seal, and with his chakra coated-palm, he hit the seal dead center with exact precision. Setting on the timer shield, a super-chakra enforced shield to block out residue of time scripts, around in the last second. He then set it to a month before he met his first genin team. He smiled, thinking of how he would meet everyone who he had loved from the past.

* * *

Panting hard, Kakashi had laid on his back after the first few hours from the blast. Not that didn't want to, but because he couldn't. Tired from all the stamina and chakra he had used, Kakashi was left immobile and vulnerable to danger. However, no thought of accidents crossed Kakashi's mind because him and Naruto had tweaked the seal into a safe haven.

This meaning a chakra reliever if only an incident where only one is to proceed into the new time dimension, in Kakashi's case, the travel will not completely exhaust the proceeder of chakra. Also, in the fatigue of time traveling, Naruto had made a timer shield, in which was explained.

However, as both Naruto and Kakashi had read the dynamics of time travel, one that is found by their own persona of the time they are traveling will rip the course of time and space. But having the perks of being a seals mistress, Naruto had come up with a theory, which both Kakashi and Naruto had performed beforehand, that whoever is to travel by time is to be merged with their past lives, therefore taking their memories. The theory had been so simple, that it was so hard to remember, which was adding the symbol of Omoide, or memories, included inside the seal.

But, however, there was a limit to Naruto and Kakashi's time to work on the scroll due to the war taking place in their other lifetime. Because Naruto's death was so uncanny, due this proclamation, Kakashi was sent back in time only so far. But, if the plan was for only either Naruto or Kakashi were to go alone, they would have been able to have gone back more further; Obito's death. But because the plan was before handedly Made for two, again, Kakashi could only go so far back with his own chakra.

As Kakashi and Naruto had predicted, he would be somewhere inside Fire Country, making him nearer to the safe haven that was Konoha. The forest that was near him made it clear to Kakashi that he was near Konoha. Kakashi then, with the force of his will, rolled opposite from his back then onto his chest, stretched his arm out, and dragged himself through the forestry.

As Kakashi did so, he began to have memories of the one he loved.

**Flashback**

_Naruto walked into the war zoned pathway, inciting her Bijuu Mode to destroy the White-Zetsus' that had killed her precious people. With narrowed eyes, she felt a strange new chakra signature, but put it to rest as she felt no dark aura coming off from their chakra. By the time she annihilated the mass, she turned around to see Kakashi._

_'Hey Naru.', he said._

_'Kakashi.', she said with a smile on her face._

_The sixteen-year old genin still was the most unpredictable konoichi. She was still as beautiful as ever, even with her bloodied and scarred hands, she still had the same cheery smile plastered on her face.'Don't give me that fake smile, Naru.'_

_She looked at him in protest, but gave in with tears running down to her chin. The frown that settled on Naruto's face broke Kakashi's heart, as he ran towards her, catching her in his arms. They both fell to the crimson padded ground, which Kakashi had comforted Naruto on.'H-how do you k-know me so well, Kashi?', she questioned with a quiver in her voice._

_Kakashi pulled Naruto into his lap and then pulled off his flak vest on Naruto. He then asked her,'Do-do you really want to know?', suddenly becoming nervous with the sudden outcome. She nodded, then he braced himself. Kakashi bent his knees so that knees and thighs were directly on her back, giving the effect of Naruto being pushed onto his chest. Kakashi then wrapped his arms under her arms then lifted her chins upwards. He narrowed his eyes in her beautiful position then kissed her mouth, through his mask, shyly then pulled away._

_Naruto was blushing madly with a pair of wide eyes. 'S-sorry, N-naru!', Kakashi apologized while averting his gaze elsewhere from her face. It was now his turn to have a blushing face with a pair of wide eyes when Naruto had placed a chaste kiss on the side of his mouth. Both of their hearts were beating madly._

_'I-I love you!', both of them said directly at the same time. Both were shocked at the sudden outcome, as they had both confessed to each other on a bloodied battlefield._

**End of Flashback**

Kakashi smiled at both their confessions and the regain of strength. He then remembered at something that had caused his grief.

**Flashback**

_Two years had passed since their confessions. An Eighteen-year old Naruto was covered in blood while being slung on the shoulder of Tobi._

_'Why are you doing this Obito? How can you possibly do this to her?', Kakashi screamed in rage. He had a kunai, ready in the position to attack._

_'Being hypocritical, are we now, Kakashi? Do you remember Rin? Oh, yes, I loved her so much but you had her killed. Now it's my chance to do the same to you.', Obito said with a smirk crossing his features. Kakashi's eyes widen when Obito sunk into the earth with Naruto._

_Kakashi had just proposed, wanting to make their mating a celebration of a real wedding, to Naruto a month ago, in which she was ecstatic even with the war at hand. He cried with tears staining his features at the memories. Bowing his head down, fatigue was showered down to his very core, because his other half was missing._

**End of Flashback**

Konoha could be see clearly through the horizon. Kakashi felt a sensation of relief when it had been seen, as Konoha was now flourishing with its beauty. He felt a new strength come onto him then Kakashi ran towards her gates, passing through the guards and smiled with a new chance. He then looked for the Hokage Monument and grinned even larger when he saw the defaced stony faces-Naruto was here.

Bystanders looked at cautiously at Kakashi, seeing that he was a bloody mess that was _prancing_ around the streets of Konoha. However, Kakashi didn't care at what people thought of him, as of now, and ran swiftly to the Hokage tower.

The sandaime could be found doing his paperwork while smoking on herbs on a pipe. He was then startled when Kakashi came bellowing through the window, causing them to shatter to the floor. The old Sarutobi moved his chair, with him on it, quickly out of the way.

"Kakashi, you know that you're going to have to pay for that, don't you?", said Hiruzen. The Sarutobi called for Kakashi to go to him. "Now, this seems very out of character for you, Kakashi-kun, to go crashing down on random windows.", Hiruzen then added,"I have also heard complaints of you dancing out on the streets..._scandalously_.", Hiruzen contemplated as he read the complaint notes on his desk.

"Quickly, Lord Hokage, tell me the date as of now.", Kakashi said with widened eyes. Even though the Hokage Monuments were defaced, Kakashi wanted to know for sure.

Looking confused at Kakashi's demeanor, he then replied,"Today's the academy graduation ceremony and test, to see who will graduate and become genin. So to say, today is June 13-Oh I remember now, I did ask you the favor of taking on a genin team this year. Here is the folder.", the Sandaime gave Kakashi a yellow folder called _Team Seven_. Then the Hokage added, "Try to at least pass them this time, Kakashi-kun."

Kakashi nodded profoundly, giving a sign of thanks. Kakashi walked you to the window and was about to exit until the Sarutobi added,"Be sure to take a shower too, Kakashi, you reek of sweat and blood! I thought the C-rank mission was an easy task for you."  
Kakashi nodded then saluted away through the window.

For once, Kakashi was actually excited to get a genin team this year.

* * *

Traveling through roof was one of the luxuries of being a shinobi. Without being seen from the civilians down below helped Kakashi stay on task. Per say, won't look like a maniac in front of them. Kakashi sighed in relief when he saw his apartment complex coming closer from the horizon. When he opened the door, Kakashi saw that everything was what it was those many years ago.

He sat on the a chair beside the table and opened his folder. The first description box stated _Haruno, Sakura:_

_Sex: Female  
Hair color: Pink  
Eye Color: Green  
Weight: 35.4 kg  
Height: 148.5 cm  
Age: 12  
DOB: March 28  
Haruno, Sakura is average in the areas that include: Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, and Genjutsu. Subjects such as common core are well excelled by Sakura, as she is the Konoichi of the year.  
Notes: Sakura is noted to be an honor student, in which Sakura's scholastic intelligence is hardly rivaled by any of her peers. Despite this, however, just like most preteen girls, Sakura was more interested in her looks as opposed to practicing her ninja skills._

The second description box showed that of _Uchiha, Sasuke:_

_Sex: Male  
Hair color: Dark black  
Eye color: Dark black  
Weight: 42.2 kg  
Height: 150.8 cm  
Age: 12  
DOB: July 23  
Uchila, Sasuke excels in the areas that include: Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, and Genjutsu. Subjects such as common core are well studied as to him. However he has the lowest score in cooperation and second lowest in assertiveness.  
Notes: Can be a bit antisocial at times while being in a stoic posture. Sasuke has both a superiority and an inferiority complex, as he is unwilling to acknowledge when someone is stronger than him, but obsesses when he believes that they are._

The third description box showed that of _Uzumaki, Naruto:_

_Sex: Female  
Hair color: Blond  
Eye color: Blue  
Weight: 37.4 kg  
Height: 140.7 cm  
Age: 12  
DOB: October 10  
Uzumaki, Naruto is far below average, but passable in the areas that include: Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, and Genjutsu. Subjects such as common core are abysmal at clause.  
Notes: Naruto is exuberant, brash, inattentive, and heedless to formality or social standings. Naruto is relatively naive, simple, and being slow to understand a principle or situation, which often requires an oversimplified analogy in order to grasp what is being explained to her._

"Same as ever.", Kakashi said fondly as he concluded his reading. As he released his hand from the paper, Kakashi saw a light shade of red that came off of his hand. "Huh?", and that's when he remembered that he just came from a war.

"Gosh, I really do need to take a shower.", he said happily because going in two years from the war, he never really did have the luxury to take a proper shower.

* * *

"Hey, Pakkun, I know that you _know_.", Kakashi said interrogating the ninken pug.

"Hah? Whaddya mean? But", he stopped to lift up his paw,"I just had my paws done. Ya wanna feel?", Pakkun said with a strait face.

Kakashi twitched an eyebrow. "My time travel.", Kakashi said bluntly.

"Yeah, I know.", the dog reprimanded.

"Good."

"Wait, why?"

"Cause I want you to spy on Naru for me.", Kakashi said. "I've been having these random mood swings that started this morning, actually. I think it's because of the Mating Mark.", he added, thinking about the time when he first got to Konoha, whilst _prancing_.

"-Wait, what would happen if I said I didn't?", stated Pakkun.

"Then you would have labeled me as a pedo. Now, enough of that. I want you to see if Naru still has her mating mark.", Kakashi smirked whilst giving Pakkun a messaging device and putting it on his ears.

"Eh, whatever you say, I still think of you as a pedo. I mean, you are spying on little children.", Pakkun countered at Kakashi, who twitched his eyebrow. "Bye now, Kakashi!", he said while going through the doggy doorway.

After thirty minuets, Pakkun finally called to Kakashi. "Hey, Kakashi! You there?"

"Hm! Oh, yeah!", Kakashi said excitedly. "Do you see it, Pakkun? It's on her left shoulder."

"Wait a second, Kakashi...hmmm, if my sight is correct, I do see a tanner outline on her shoulder. Lucky for me, she's just checking it out right now. It looks to me like she is scared of what it is."

"Don't you dare-", Kakashi growled out, only to be interrupted.

"Shut up, Kakashi, I'm not a sexual child rapist like you-you even send innocent puppies out for dirty spying business, you big pervert. Oh-and by the way, I'm into the more mature ladies, if you know what I mean~.", Pakkun said grinningly.

"I don't care, Pakkun-you're not even a puppy. You can come back now.", Kakashi told on the microphone.

"Hmph, I shouldn't have done thi-", Pakkun's complaints fell on deaf ears when Kakashi threw the radio on his bed and slumped on the floor with a goofy grin plastered on his face. Taking off his mask, he rubbed his face in which was revealed a sunny smile on his face.

"This time, I'm for sure that I'll recapture her heart.", he said in an exasperated sigh, remembering his Hokage's a almost last words/commands to him.

* * *

To Kakashi, today was the longest walk to the Hokage Tower. This was because today was the the day that he was going to tell the Hokage of the the future. The secretary mentioned for him to walk through the door.

"Now, what do you need Kakashi-kun. Are you here to pay for the window?", said Hiruzen.

_'Shoot, I forgot about that. Should've never come here in the first place.'_, Kakashi thought panicky. Kakashi turned around briefly and walked directly on the door until the Sandaime mentioned for his secretary to close the door.

Kakashi saw that the secretary smirked at him mentally and then faced the Hokage. '_That woman_.' Kakashi's eyes strayed everywhere, but not directly yo the Hokage's.

"Now, now Kakashi-kun, what did you need to talk to me about? And if it's about the team, than the answer is no."

"_No!_", Kakashi exclaimed. The Hokage looked at him strangely. _'Darn it! Focus, Kakashi, focus!'_, Kakashi degraded himself because of the suspicion that cash on the Sarutobi's eyes. Kakashi that stated,"I mean, what I'm trying to say is that...I'm from the future, and I need your help."

Hiruzen narrowed his eyes and said,"Are you delirious Kakashi? Or are you just practicing a new excuse for when you are late on me?"

Kakashi flinched,_'Ouch.'_ Then took out a scroll containing to space time kinjutsu. Kakashi sighed at the look the Hokage made when he saw the scroll.

"This-this is a masterpiece Kakashi! I've never seen anything like this before in my days of living! It might even come close to surpassing Mito-sama' s own work, if I must say. The intricate strokes of ink in its right position. I'm no fuinjutsu master, but anyone who has ever seen this will think the way I do. If I may ask, did you create this, Kakashi-kun?", explained the Hokage.

"Well, technically, no, but partially, yes.", said Kakashi.

The Sandaime looked confused for a moment, then asked specifically,"Then who was the one who made this complexity?"

Kakashi closed his eyes tightly, then said,"Naruto, Hokage-sama, Uzumaki, Naruto. She was the one who made this from our future. I had helped her by the minuscule."

"W-what are you trying to say? You don't have pr-", the Sandaime stopped in the middle of his sentence when Kakashi started to take off his flack vest, then pulled his shirt to the left side showing his Mating Mark. "Th-that is-"

"The Mating Mark.", Kakashi said, finishing his sentence.

"When did this happen, and with who?", Hiruzen said, withholding his composure.

Kakashi smiled fondly and said,"In the next six years, I will mate with the one who had solely created the scroll that you are holding.", he then continued on by saying,"Naruto does have the Mating Mark as well, but she doesn't know what it actually is, what it represents, what we represent. So to say, if you check Naruto's left shoulder, there will be an official Hatake Clan Mating Mark.", Kakashi explained with a grin etched on his face.

The Sandaime Hokage carefully analyzed Kakashi's appearance, taking note on the highly unusual posture for Kakashi. His posture was now strait and alert. He looked much more happier than in context before. All to say was that Kakashi looked new and not from this time.

"Fine then, Kakashi, what if I say that I believe you?"

"Hokage-sama, you don't have to believe me, I just need to let someone in on this who could help me with future disasters."

"You're playing on a very narrow road right now, Kakashi.", The Sandaime said with narrowed eyes.

Kakashi sighed and said,"Okay fine, Lord Hokage, I'll let you in on a secret.", the Sandaime narrowed his eyes again. Kakashi began to say,"In three weeks time, Naru will not pass the academy exam, in which Mizuki, the academy teacher, will tempt her into stealing the Forbidden Scroll."

The Hokage frowned and shot his hand up to his forehead, in a frustrated silence. Kakashi just stood there, waiting for an answer. "Sigh, fine Kakashi, in three weeks time, if Mizuki were to cause this incident, than I will believe in you, fool proof."

Kakashi contemplated the Sandaime's words into his mind before saying,"Of course, Lord Hokage.", and with that, Kakashi shunshied out of the Hokage tower.

* * *

Alarms alerted Konoha in three weeks time. Shinobi from throughout the village scurried to the Hokage seeking for orders. "Hokage-sama! What do we do? The Forbidden Scroll was sealed away by the Shodaime himself! If that goes to enemy hands, Konoha will be greatly ruined!", panicked the many shinobi who crowded before the Hokage.

"Silence!", bellowed Hiruzen. Setting into a more quiet tone when seeing the crowd dispute of their panic, the Sandaime said,"Do not worry, for I already have predicted this outcome.", the old Sarutobi then pulled out his oracle.

As the shinobi watched, they could see Naruto running back towards the Hokage Tower and containing the scroll. However, Mizuki was chasing her with evil cast in his eyes. When Mizuki reaches and traps her, he lifted out his Windmill Shuriken then hacked it towards her with the intention to kill. However, Iruka does quick action, and swoops in taking on the blow, directly on his back. Before long, Naruto uses a cross handed hand seal and shouts out,**"Taijuu Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!",** in which making several thousand clones that beat up Mizuki.

All the shinobi present that saw the sheer number of the shadow clones Naruto had down was not short to amazing. It was incredible seeing the Jinchuuriki do that, in only learning the Kinjutsu merely hours ago. Kakashi who was on the back of the crowd smirked at the dumbfounded shinobi. He stepped into the darkness and gone in midair.

* * *

"Whoa! What's going on in here!", one shouted out.

"Is the world ending?"

"Wa-wait! Is it just me, or are we also late?", another accused.

Kakashi sweat dropped at their antics seeing that he was early for once. The Hokage had an amused face when he saw Kakashi. He then shouted,"Be silent!", and as predicted, the crowd in his office quieted down. The old Sarutobi then stated,"Cease your worries, because I just called Kakashi saying that the meeting was three hours ago."

All the ninja in the room had relieved looks on their faces while Kakashi just stood at the center of attention in the middle of the room. He had his book out, rejoicing thoroughly in the inside because the last time Kakashi had read it was nearly ages ago, due to the war. _'Then Kimiko knelt down grabbing Mi-'_

Kakashi was interrupted by the Hokage when he started to talk. "Now, today is a very special day, as it is the new genin team selection day. The new future leaders of Konoha will be passed down to their hands in the nearby future, I expect you all to know what team you are to proceed with.", Hiruzen waited for the waves of nods then continued."Be sure to at least try to pass your team, even with the 66% chance of failure. You never know that this batch of academy students will break the percentage.", he said, looking solely at Kakashi, in which was once again the center of attention.

The Hokage looked pleased with the outcome of the meeting and commanded,"Now, go to the academy and see who your new team might look like, you are now dismissed-except for Kakashi.", all the shinobi and konoichi did what they were told. Kakashi looked puzzled.

"Kakashi, are you really from the future?", Hiruzen asked quietly after he used a privacy seal in the perimeter of his office.

With a solid tone, Kakashi answered,"As I had said before, yes I am without a doubt, from the future."

Kakashi then remembered. He frantically got into his weapons pouch and handed over a scroll that said Tsunade on it.

Hiruzen took and opened the scroll, giving an insight to what was inside.

The Sarutobi's eyes widened slightly but then narrowed when he gave in to the fact that Kakashi was from the future. The Hokage took one breath, taking the risk of knowing what's to come, and asked Kakashi,"What will happen in the future, Kakashi? Knowing that you are here now, I assume that bad things are to happen. And if this scroll was sent by Tsunade-chan, does that mean she comes back to Konoha?"

Kakashi looked solemn with his eyes narrowed slightly. He answered,"Yes, bad things are to come, quickly even. I came back to this time period; today is the day where it all started. In a time lapse of less than a decade, things will go bad. Not only for us, Konoha, but for the whole entire Shinobi World. And, yes Tsunade comes back being the first ever female Hokage."

The Sandaime's eyes widened to all proclamations. "How does this happen?"

Kakashi looks sorrowful and says, "Because there will be no peace, only disasters will occur throughout our history as shinobi. By changing for what is to become, we can prevent the wipeout of all shinobi. And with Tsunade-sama, Naruto happens. You'll learn more about everything in that scroll. "

The Sandaime carefully analyzes the characters and nods. "Thank you for the information, Kakashi, you may take your leave now. Maybe this time, you will actually have a real explanation to why you are late today.", the Sarutobi joke, aiming to lighten the mood.

Kakashi smiled and saluted, and jumped through the broken window. He grinned even more when he heard,"You're still going to have to pay for that Kakashi!"

Walking through the streets of Konoha while reading _Icha Icha Paradise_ while whistling, Kakashi took his time walking to the academy classroom where _Naruto_-and Sasuke and Sakura; no playing favorites again this year-were at.

He laughed when he heard the bickering of both between Naruto and Sasuke, the loud scream Sakura made when Naruto was acting stupid, and their slight teamwork for the chalk eraser prank. The nostalgia of these peaceful days could be taken for granted, in which Kakashi would treasure in his mind forever. It was like a dream come true; it all seemed fake, but it's all real.

* * *

When Kakashi reached for the doorway, he had remembered of the first prank Naruto had inflicted on him. But this time, he would accept the eraser to the fullest extent for the cost of her laughter.

* * *

Naruto was scampering around the doorway of the classroom,_ 'Hmmmmm-'_, she thought deviously.

Sakura saw this and said,"Naruto, just sit down or something."

Naruto narrowed her eyes and said,"Why is our Team 7 sensei so dang late?! All the other teams have gone off with their other sensei's, and Iruka-sensei also left...ah!"

"Naruto! What are you doing?!", Sakura bellowed questionably.

Naruto was snickering when she set her new prank to action. She stood on a classroom chair and positioned a chalkboard eraser right on the crook of the doorway. Sliding the door until it reaches the eraser, the door puts the eraser at place, setting the plan to action.

Inner Sakura cheered while outer Sakura seethed at Naruto's sheer stupidity. Sasuke suddenly says,"_Pffft_...like any jounin would fall for a stupid prank.

Just then, a hand popped from the other side of the doorway. Everything went still inside the classroom. Poof. As calk clouds filled the classroom, Naruto's beautiful laughter out bounded the dust. Kakashi smiled beneath his mask when he saw the picture painted in front of him. It was all very nostalgic.

Sakura made the first move to talk,"Sensei, I'm so sorry, I tried stop Naruto but she...", however, Inside-Sakura said another story,_'Ok! Ok! That worked better than imagined!'_

Sasuke thought worriedly, 'Is this really a jounin, he doesn't seem very reliable.'

Kakashi then interrupted,"Hmm, how can I say this? My first impression is...I don't like you guys.", even though it was actually the complete opposite of what he really thought.

"...", a dead silence resounded the classroom as Sakura, Sasuke, and Naruto stared at their teacher shamefully.

"Okay, meet me in the roof before five.", Kakashi said before he shunshied away.

* * *

_'On my gosh,'_, Kakashi thought shamefully,_'why is she still so gorgeous. She's only twelve! Man I sound like a freaking pedofile.'_, he said, squinting his sole eye at the view of Konoha.

"_Sensei!_", Kakashi was startled inside when Naruto screamed his name.

"Huh-oh, uh..yeah.", he replied. He continued on by saying,"Well, let's begin by introducing yourselves."

"Whadya wanna know?"

"How about your likes, dislikes, your dreams for the future, things like that..."

"Hey, hey! Why don't you introduce yourself to us first!? Cause ya kinda look suspicious", exclaimed Naruto.

A sad smile appeared behind Kakashi's mask. Naruto didn't know who he was. Kakashi began,"Oh...me? Well, my name is Hatake, Kakashi. I have no desire to tell you my likes or my dislikes, dreams for the future...hmmm, and I have lots of hobbies."

The students of Team 7 looked dumbly at Kakashi, who took amusement in. Kakashi laughed a little, as all of this was just the same as it was before. It was like a canvas ready to be painted on; of to which Kakashi's situation, to change steadily. He sighed fondly, remembering everyone's introduction.

_It's a new beginning._

**(A/N: Hope you all enjoyed! Please favorite, follow, and/or review, anything makes me happy. Thanks for reading!)**


	2. Chapter 2

**(A/N: OMG! I could die of happiness right now. I got 50+ follows, almost 10 reviews, and 20+ favorites! No joke, I'm crying tears of happiness right now in the bathroom. And not to sound weird of anything, but I love you guys! So here it is early,_ A New Beginning Chapter_** **2****.)**

Naruto couldn't help but to feel nervous of the upcoming events. She strayed her long, golden locks across the bed as she faltered on top of the many shiny strands. _'Of the twenty-seven graduates, only nine will be chosen to become genin, the rest will be sent back to the academy. This training is a very difficult exam with a failure rate of 66%!'_

"Arrgghhh!", Naruto screamed frustrated. "_Sigh_, I need to train.", she said in her conclusion.

Getting up from the bed, feeling more rejuvenated due to her masterful plan she had just thought of, she got the following items: A sac of flour, duct tape, old clothes, long feathers, and a black marker. After gathering all the following, she twisted the top of the sac of flour, making a head. The next thing she did was draw a lazy eye on the right of the right of the figure's face. Happy with the eye she made, Naruto proceeded by taping crossly, covering to where the left eye was, then putting a leaf symbols on it, in which the tape symbolizes a standard Konoha hitite-ate.

She tampered on clothes on the figure's body and then placed a mask on it, covering its mouth and nose. She finished by placing four long feathers on its head. She smiled at her masterpiece and giggled at it's funny looks. As Naruto admired the doll, she hung it by its head from the ceiling, where it would be used as a training dummy.

"Hihihi! Hmmmm, what should I name you? ...ah! I know! What about Scarecrow?", Naruto awaited for an answer, where the Kakashi look-alike stared blankly at her. "Of course you will agree!"

She smirked and then placed a solid punch on it with a new gleam in her eyes. She then screamed out,"When he does this, I'll hit this! And when he does that, I'll punch him there! And then I'll throw a punch here! And when he kicks with his right leg, I'll kick him in his family Jewels!", she said in a set motion with kicks, dodges, punches, and so on.

Just outside of Naruto's home, Kakashi saw her training with a doll that looked suspiciously like him. He laughed it off as the doll looked familiarly just like him. He sighed, looking out into the glowing moon. It was dark, he analyzed, and time to go to bed.

That night, Naruto trained with a motionless Kakashi doll.

* * *

Kakashi set up the training ground for a perfect training field. He smirked at how completed and loitered it looked. This time, everything will be different from that time. This was going to be pretty difficult, and he knew that his team would fail. However, in spite of this, he wanted to know the after outcome, _after_ their failure.

Kakashi wanted to know if they were actually ready, so he set up the perfect test. Everything can end miserably bad, or terribly excellent with the same or different results. It'll be a gamble.

Kakashi saw that it was about ten o'clock. Well at least this time, he will actually-actually have a real excuse for being late.

* * *

"You're late!", Naruto and Sakura both scremed mercilessly at Kakashi.

"Sorry! I got lost in the path of life."

All three almost genins looked discriminately at him.

He eye smiled at their reactions then said,"Okay! Here's what the survival test is. It's called _Mine Field_. The objective of this exercise is to get your fellow teammates across a mine Field of light paper bombs; these will only hurt slightly, but not cause permanent damage. Another thing is that only two of the three of you boys and girls will be tied up to each other, with blindfolds on. Each of you will be on opposite ends, making it more difficult.", Kakashi explained.

He continued when he got determined looks on each persons face. Smiling, he then said,"We will also have a key player in this test, in which they will be the ones to lead you only by their commands. They will be the one to verbally lead you to safety to one side to the other. They cannot physically lead you, only verbally, got that?", Kakashi said, getting a wave of nods.

Naruto thought,_'Humph! I hope I don't get paired up with Sasuke-teme!'_

Sasuke thought,_'Tch. I hope I don't get paired up with that Dobe.'_

Sakura daydreamed,_'Cha! That means if I get paired up with Sasuke-kun, I'll get the chance to hold his hand! Squeal!...but If I get paired up with the Baka, everything will be ruined!'_

"Hmmm, time for the choosing. Hmmm, let me see...Naruto! And Sasuke! Come over here.", both follow Kakashi's command. Both let out irritated and knowing groans.

"And whoever I think deserves it, will be tied to the tree stump while I eat in front of them, and the same goes with whoever I think needs it most, it could even be all three of you, they will get sent back to the academy, got that?"

All three had similar looks, all thinking,_'Thats why he told us not to eat breakfast.'_

Naruto had a worried look on her face, and thought,_'Gosh, I hope I'm not the one to get sent back to the academy. But if I do, I'll get to see Iruka-sensei!'_, then after that statement, she glowed confidently.

Sasuke had a smirk painted on his face while he thought,_'Humph, this test will be easy. Of course that dobe will be sent back. I won't, of course, because I'm an Uchiha.'_

Sakura also had a determined face while she pep talked herself,_'Cha! Nothing can separate me and Sasuke-kun! Ino-pig will take him if I don't do anything about it! This is just a test of love! A test of love! Shanaro!'_

Kakashi eye smiled when both Naruto and Sasuke came over, then slipped his bag from his back, and set it on the tree stump. He took out two bandanas and a long rope. He motioned for both to come closer, then positioning Naruto and Sasuke together, shoulder to shoulder, but in opposite views. This caused right arm to touch Sasuke's right arm. He tied them by their right legs, and right arms, leaving them both completely immobile, due to the fact that their prime arms and legs were tied up.

Kakashi then tied to purple bandana on Sasuke and then proceeded on to Naruto with an orange bandana. He then told Sakura to follow him, while he led Naruto, who was backwards, and Sasuke, who was frontwards, to the large minefield. Kakashi then added,"Oh, yes, you both only get ten lives each, making twenty lives total. If you surpass this rule, there will be consequences."

Sakura widened her eyes at the sheer number of how many paper bombs were on the Field. _'Oh, gosh! How am I gonna get through this one? If I don't, then Sasuke-kun will hate me forever if he gets hurt!'_

A worried haze filled her, while Kakashi looked at the display his students were in. Both Naruto and Sasuke were fighting about who touched who and Sakura was worried in trusting herself. Yup, he just knew that they were going to fail this test.

Naruto then shouted out, suddenly,"Wait! There'll be no fighting here in this test?", she was jumping towards Kakashi, while dragging Sasuke with her.

"Huh? Nope, not at all.", Kakashi answered. Then he thought to himself,_'Of course there will.'_, he sighed

"What! Then that means that I practiced on Sca...ummm jus-just kidding, hahaha.", she smiled, almost slipping. She then was led by Kakashi to the starting point. Kakashi then took out an alarm clock and set it to twelve at noon, in which the team had two hours.

Kakashi eye smiled and said,"Whenever you're ready, Sakura."

Sakura frowned, but the said,"Ummm, okay then. Let's see...go straight forwards first."

Both Sasuke and Naruto listened, only to walk on opposite sides. Sasuke narrowed his eyes the began,"You Dobe, she meant my forward."

Naruto growled. "Teme! She meant mine!"

"Wa-wait both of you! I actually meant Sasuke-kun's, Naruto-baka.", Sakura stated.

A feral growl escaped from Naruto's mouth when she could feel a smirk on Sasuke's face, then she obeyed. Sasuke walked frontwards while Naruto walked backwards. Both were stopped abruptly with the command of a "no" from Sakura, but were too late when a mine exploded. _Boom!_

_Nineteen lives left._

"Way to go, Sas_uke_!", Naruto bellowed, emphasizing the last three letter of his name.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes and turned his head away from were Naruto's voice had sounded. A voice sounded,"Sasuke-kun! Are you okay?!"

"Hn. Next time when you give out orders, make them more clear."

Sakura widened her eyes, and then blushed in embarrassment."Of-of course,Sasuke-kun-and don't call Sasuke-kun that, Naruto-baka!"

Naruto returned to her opposite side then waited for the commands. Sakura continued,"Go to your right, Sasuke-kun, while you go to your left Naruto-wait! Naruto, avoid that rock!"

Five explosives blew up onto each other when Naruto fell on Sasuke, in which both were sent rolling down to a full field of bombs. This caused six more explosives to go out.

_Eight lives left._

Kakashi sighed when he saw the embarrassing display his students had shown-they were so gonna fail. He overheard Sasuke and Naruto's argument.

"You dumb Teme! Listen closely when Sakura-chan orders you, you ungrateful Teme!"

"Humph! Maybe if I were her, I would have given more clear commands instead of those weak ones she had said! You're such a Dobe all the time."

"Why, you!", Naruto bellowed as she tried to kick him, but to no avail. Naruto again could feel Sasuke's smirk creasing his face. She fumed, but let it go when the test came to mind. She called on Sakura,"Hey, Sakura-chan! How many lives do we have left."

Sakura frowned when she counted the numbers of mines that had blown up on her fingers. The number of mines blown had surpassed the number of fingers she had. She worried,_'There are only eight left.'_

Sakura then told Naruto,"Ummm...Naruto, you both only have eight lives left."

"What?! Oh my gosh! Teme, we have to get this right! Wait! Where are we at right now Sakura-chan?"

Kakashi looked hopefully when Naruto said that.

Sakura looked at Kakashi in approval, and when she did, she said,"Hmmmm...both of you right now are about halfway across the field. This happened because of when you guys rolled up though those six mines."

"O-okay, Sakura-chan! We're ready!", Naruto called out to her.

Sakura took a deep breath, and focused. "Okay, wait first until my command is finished. Naruto walk to your left slowly, while you, Sasuke-kun, will walk to your right.", they did what they were told. "Stop!", they listened.

"Now, walk backwards Naruto, and frontwards, Sasuke-kun, slowly.", they mimicked her command and stopped when she told them to stop. "Slowly, walk to your right, Naruto and your left, Sasuke-kun."

_Rinnnngggggg!_

Naruto jumped to her left, which coincidentally had a waterbed on it, in fright. She took Sasuke with her. Sakura screamed out,"Wait! There's a lake there!"

_Splash! _Sakura left her mouth widened, and then turned to Kakashi, who said,"Wow. They actually went there. Hmmm, whatever, I also planted explosives there too."

_Boom! _Around eleven explosions were heard, which caused water to go splashing around the corners of the lake. Naruto then bellowed,"_Teme! _I've had enough of you. Look what you did!", she took off her bandana and tangled out of the rope.

Sasuke followed her example and looked her straight in the eyes. "You Dobe! You caused this when you jumped, dragging me with you, because you were a wimp!"

A battle cry was heard from Naruto when she stood up from the shallow water. She gritted her teeth and then used her training method from last night to punch Sasuke straight in the face, She twisted her arm, to cause a more fatal effect, only to get blocked by Sasuke's hand.

She narrowed her eyes, and kicked from below, and onto his ankle. She got the desired effect when she kicked a solid object. He winched in pain, but held still and punched her on the right shoulder. He smirked when he hit it.

Naruto was enraged and then jumped atop him. They both fell into the shallow water. However, they stopped when Kakashi grabbed them, and dragged them from over the water. Kakashi sighed when he knew that this was going to happen.

He then tied up Naruto, and led Sasuke to sit down across from Sakura and next to the food.

* * *

"Hmmm, you guys look really hungry.", Kakashi stated when he met up with them.

"No duh, Sherlock.", Naruto said tomboyishly while sticking her tongue out.

Kakashi eye smiled at her, being that she hadn't change over the years, only to become more mature but childish. The food was left on the grass next to Sasuke and Sakura, who both looked longingly at them. Kakashi eye smiled and then repeated,"You guys look pretty hungry, and bout the training...well, let's just say that you all don't need to go back to the academy."

The three preteens looked with wide eyes, with the exception of Sasuke, who just smirked cockily. Naruto was jumping for joy behind the rope she was tied to. She excitedly said,"Ne, ne, that means all of us...!"

Kakashi was not fazed from his eye smile when he began,"Yup, all three of you should all quit as shinobi."

The devastation on all of their faces showed right through their skin._ 'Ouch. Felt that one coming.'_, Kakashi breathed out slowly when he saw Naruto's crestfallen emotions barricade on his heart._ 'I can't believe the mark still works-hmmm, maybe a mental link.'_, Kakashi analyzed while thinking about his Mating Mark

"Qu-quit as ninjas? Wh-what are you trying to say?", Naruto said as she slumped on to the stump looking hurt. She continued,"Just because we didn't get across that mine field doesn't mean we don't have to quit as to being who we would love to become, isn't that right?", Naruto said softly.

It took all of Kakashi's willpower to refrain from hugging and comforting his lifetime partner. Kakashi sighed,"It's because all of you are a bunch of children who do not care about how a shinobi's life is about."

Sasuke's anger clouded his emotions as he set off to charge at Kakashi. Of course Kakashi knew that this was coming as he ended up holding Sasuke, to refrain from acting brash, from behind. Kakashi replied his speech from when he first had Team 7's shinobi speech,"That's why you are a punk."

"No! Don't sit on Sasuke-kun!", Sakura shrieked.

Kakashi glared at Sakura and said to all of them,"Are you guys overestimating ninja? Why do you think you were all divided into teams and doing this training together?"

All looked confused, Kakashi continued,"Basically, from what I saw in this test was a no existing team who only cared for themselves selfishly. What I'm trying to say is that the answer to passing this test was teamwork. If all of you worked together on getting on the other side of the minefield, you all would have passed."

Sakura thought this over, and widened her eyes. _Teamwork_.

"Sakura, you were uneasy with yourself when you had given your orders. Some of them were also not well planned out on. I had chosen you to be their commander due to your excellent skill with using your brain and thinking things through. Even thought you are fresh out of the academy, not trusting yourself means that you cannot trust others, even thought they are your teammates. This will lead to an untimely death.", Sakura frowned when Kakashi said that.

"Sasuke and Naruto, I had paired up both of you because I knew about your disliking of each other. I had hoped that you would set these personal problems aside and come to an agreement to work with each other-however, you did not. Naruto, I tied you up instead of Sasuke because you had just fought with him, in which angering him to fight with you. This caused a major effect in this team's teamwork. Sasuke, I could tell that you thought that you were the superior of both Naruto and Sakura. You even dissed your own commander and teammate about giving more clear commands."

Kakashi paused and then continued,"If you had done this at battle and did your own thing, you would have been killed immediately, Sasuke.", Kakashi set out to look directly at Naruto,"Naruto, with you just causing an uproar everywhere you are. By setting things out your own way, and not thinking things through, this will also kill you in battle."

Kakashi continued,"Sasuke, also, because you only cared about yourself, this resulted into setting yourself the major out of the equal that is your teammates. All of the shinobi you fight along with will be a base or a branch into a sprouting victory. This is one of the many important aspects of teamwork. this reason will also give you death", Kakashi stated, while using his posture to turn to Sasuke who was glaring underneath him.

"Let's say...Sakura! Kill Naruto or Sasuke will die!", Kakashi demanded. Sakura looked horrified, but aided down when Kakashi let Sasuke go. "See, a shinobi's life is hard. From making depictions that will last a lifetime, if you choose wrongfully.", Kakashi said solemnly.

Kakashi walked up to the memorable stone, in which when he got to is, he asked,"Do you know what this is?"

Taking the silence as a no, Kakashi concluded,"There are many names carved on this stone, of which the name were of the forgotten heroes."

Naruto perked up on this,"Heroes? You mean the type that gets acknowledged-"

"But, they aren't like normal heroes, they are all heroes who have been killed on duty.", there was a somber mood that lifted in the air. Naruto looked constricted with an unknown guilt that pulsed from her "rash". She raised her head. "Some of my closest friends are carved into this very stone.", Kakashi said with hazed eyes.

Kakashi darkened his eyes. "I'll give you guys one last chance. However the test will become even harder, because now you know the answer to this test. Those of you who's wish to do it will eat with the exception of Naruto. And if I catch you guys feeding her, there will be no second chance. Got it?", Kakashi stated sternly. He then shunshied out behind a tree.

"Heh, it's okay guys, I'm strong.", Naruto breathed out weakfully. Her own words countered her as her stomach growled.

"You're so weak, Dobe.", Sasuke commented. Naruto fumed, but was to hungry to let it out.

Naruto's eyes widened when Sasuke showed his platter of food to her while holding out his chopsticks to her mouth. Naruto blushed when she got closer to the food, but, in time, turned away from it. "Don't Sasuke. Don't risk it."

Sasuke looked confused when she didn't say his usual nickname. "Are you sure, you dobe? Cause I don't want you holding is back down."

Naruto turned her head to Sasuke quickly, looking heartfelt. "Te-teme!", she blushed in bashfulness. Sakura held her platter out too. "Sa-Sakura-chan, You too?", Naruto looked even more touched. She slowly knelt down, but stopped herself from doing so.

Just then, a puff of smoke blew up in front of the team. They all widened their eyes when they saw Kakashi.

Kakashi widened his eyes when no food was eaten from Naruto. Both Sasuke and Sakura sighed in relief both having same thoughts,_'Phew! Close call!'_

Kakashi frowned and inwardly thought,_'Wa-wait, shouldn't Naruto be eating the food by now. Was my timing wrong?'_, Kakashi was having a mental panic.

Kakashi began,"You-I guess I'll have to fail all of you guys."

All three looked horrified at his accusation. "Bu-but, we listened to what you said!", Sakura screamed at him.

Kakashi held in a bold tone, showing no care ing emotion,"Exactly, but you didn't look underneath the underneath. If you had looked underneath the underneath, Naruto would have been eating by now."

Naruto widened her eyes in realization.

Kakashi now had a strained voice,"Because you don't qualify for being gen-"

Kakashi was interrupted when Naruto shouted,"No! Don't fail Sasuke-teme and Sakura-chan! If I wasn't dumb enough and took the food, then everything would be alright. I always see the Teme training and Sakura has to be with the Teme, because all that pursuing would be all gone to waste. And-and anyways, I'll see Iruka-Sensei at the academy, and I could handle one more failure in life couldn't I?", the words that sounded out of Naruto's mouth all withheld compassion. Kakashi's heart almost broke in two beyond the sight.

"Wa-wait, Naruto, don't be a real Baka, cause I know you take shinobi life way more better than me, so I'll go back.", Sakura told Naruto genuinely happy, and with no regrets with a smile on her face.

"Hn, Dobe, you might as well one day be a great konoichi, so maybe, I'm the one who should go back.", Sasuke said with an embarrassed blush.

'_Is this really happening?'_, Kakashi thought unbelievably to himself. He continued,_'Because, no offense, but Naruto can be pretty cocky-you know I love you so much, hun-, and Sasuke is too over superior about himself, and Sakura would do anything to get as close to a millimeter to Sasuke, at least in this age.'_

Naruto looked up and felt rage course ing through her veins, she thought_,'Am I just imagining it, or did some just call me cocky behind my back?'_

Kakashi shook his head and then he bellowed,"Fine if you guys want it that way, then, YOU ALL...pass~", they all looked shell shocked at the outcome.

Kakashi smiled endearingly, because now, he finally got his team back. "You know, you guys are the first team I ever passed."

"Wa-wait! We pass?", Sakura said unbelievably.

"Yup!", Kakashi said relieved and sunnily to her. "Being the one to take the blow in front of your teammates a teamwork action and generosity. It is also a way to look underneath the underneath.", Kakashi answered.

Kakashi's lively attitude died down a bit when he reminisced of the past and said,"You know those who break the rules are trash, but those who desert their comrades are lower than trash?"

Kakashi's new students looked at him in a new light. Naruto blushed slightly, which didn't go unseen by Kakashi, while looking at Kakashi, thinking,_'H-he's so cool.'_

Kakashi smirked when he turned to Naruto and looked her straight in the eyes. Kakashi got the desired effect when Naruto blushed even more. Naruto stood there thinking,_'Get it together, Naru! It's just cause of this stupid skin rash you have! Get it together!', _Naruto finally turned away from Kakashi.

"Okay, guys! Tomorrow, Team 7 will officially start shinobi duties! Let's go now.", Kakashi motioned both Sasuke and Sakura to go with a slight gleam in his eye. He smirked when he heard Naruto's rants.

"Wa-wait for me guys! Please get me out of this rope! Please?", she begged.

"That's what you get, Naruto, for never listening in class, you dobe.", Sasuke replied.

'_Heh, that was a close call. But whatever, I finally have my team back.'_, Kakashi thought under the clear sky.

* * *

Clouds filled we air were set on the blue canvas called, Sky. After two hours of waiting in the Fall atmosphere, Naruto was still tied up and slumped on the stump.

When Naruto was left alone, under the orange gleam of the evening sun, she felt saddened by the loneliness. Even with the team, the loneliness still always got to her. Naruto sighed,"Stupid Kakashi-sensei, he's just like the rest of my past senseis-except Iruka-Sensei.", she bowed her head, but was startled when a voice sounded.

"What was that, Naru?"

_'Naru?'_, Naruto thought confusedly she narrowed her eyes at the place where the mysterious voice sounded.

Kakashi appeared from the forestry. He walked up with a kunai in his right hand. Naruto looked startled at the appearance, and even more so when she saw the kunai.

"Wh-what are you gonna do wi-with that, Sensei?", she looked at him vulnerably. Her nails grated against the stump.

Kakashi hacked the kunai into the air and onto the rope, freeing Naruto. Naruto looked confused at him and started to say something when Kakashi interrupted by asking,"Do you want to go for some ramen?"

Naruto looked at Kakashi and then back again to her hands. Thinking cautiously she looked suspiciously at him, but after a while, her stomach growled, making a blush appear on her tan face.

With a blush lighting up her face, Naruto nodded her head upwards. Kakashi smiled at her antics. He laughed mirthfully, causing Naruto to look at him with narrowed eyes and a blushing face. She turned away and walked towards Ichiraku Ramen. Kakashi smiled behind his mask and said,"Let's go then."

* * *

"Miso Ramen with extra char siu!", Naruto exclaimed. She chowed the second ramen bowl down.

"So, Naru, why do you want to become the Hokage, if I may ask?", Kakashi asked Naruto from the ramen stand.

Naruto stopped her chewing altogether, leaving a few noodles to stick out of her mouth. Noticing this, whilst embarrassed, she wiped her mouth with her jacket sleeve. Kakashi smiled at her while laughing out loudly. Naruto blushed in embarrassment when everyone was looking at her and Kakashi. Even though Naruto liked attention, she didn't want embarrassing attention as of now.

Kakashi smiled visibly behind his mask when he told her her to continue. She answered,"Wellll, I never really told anyone this, except for Jiji, but I want to be acknowledged and accepted.", she told him looking even more red. _'Get yourself together, Naruto! Don't go looking weak in front of others, especially Sensei!'_, she reprimanded herself.

Kakashi lifted his hands to her long, golden locks, and ruffled them. Naruto lifted her hands to his hands and giggled while trying to get them off. Being that he would regret this in the future, Kakashi said,"Everything's on me, get as much as you like."

Naruto widened her her twinkling eyes to thank him, but stopped herself in self control by say,"Are you sure, Sensei? Do you _know_ my eating habits?"

Kakashi smiled at her suggestion, as she did well to be considerate. He ruffled her hair once again and replied,"Yes I do know you eating habits, and of course you can eat as much as you want.", he winked at her.

Naruto grinned genuinely and profoundly rained him in thanks.

After her eating was complete, Naruto asked Kakashi,"Ne, Kakashi-sensei? Why are you being so nice to me?"

Kakashi answered,"Well, Naru, I just want to get to know you better."

"Huh? Then whey you not invite Sakura-chan and Sasuke-Teme?"

"I already did treat them, at the barbecue place next door. I just wanted to treat you here, cause I know you like to eat ramen-all was said from your file.", Kakashi told a white lie.

"Huh? Oh.", Naruto said somewhat disappointed.

"No! Don't worry about it Naru. I don't know why, but I just wanted to know about you more. That's all.", Kakashi said, trying to sound safe.

Being the oblivious person Naruto was, she didn't know that Kakashi was slightly wooing her. "Ya wanna get some ice cream? It'll still be on me."

A toothy smile showed on Naruto's face as she began,"Wow Sensei! You're so cool! Sure!"

* * *

The stand that both were headed to was covered in the center of Konoha, making it fairly popular. However, this time, it had been quite isolated. 'Perfect.', Kakashi thought. They walked across the outdoor table sets and sat on the stools that were provided by the stand. The seller saw his customers and glared when he saw Naruto. Kakashi leaked killer inter toward him, of which the seller choked.

Having been threatened and vulnerable, the wait vendor came to them and asked timidly,"Wh-What would you l-like sir?"

Kakashi smirked and said,"One 2-scooped red bean with cocoa powder on top, and one 1 scooped chocolate."

"Ri-right away, Sir.", the vendor stumbled while trying to get the ordered order. Naruto witnessed this, looking starstruck at Kakashi and then noticed something odd.

"Wa-wait. How do you know that my favorite flavor is red bean-and-and with cocoa powder on top, with two scoops too!?", Naruto stated.

Kakashi had a broken grin behind his mask and adverted his eyes, looking for an answer.

"We-well...umm I guess I just remembered from your file also? You know us shinobi, we all know your every move.", Kakashi said uneasily, trying hard not to seem like a stalker. Inside Kakashi said,'Wow! Way to go Kakashi! Now she'll really think you're not just an open pervert!'

Naruto looked clueless, but began to say,"Wait! Does that file-thingy say some weird things about me? Like-like about the time I got sent back to my apartment because one time at school I accidentally p-pooed my pants?!", sweat was filling her face.

Kakashi was laughing loudly, thankfully this time with nobody around, and then said,"N-now I know."

"Yo-you...", Naruto said embarrassingly.

"Haha...you really know how to start a conversation, Naru.", Kakashi brushed his hand through his hair.

Naruto smiled,"Ha! Of course I do, for my name wouldn't be Uzumaki, Naruto, dattebayo!", she loudly exclaimed cockily, re-earning her ego. "Ne! What are we gonna do for missions? Are we gonna do super cool ninja stuff like guarding a princess? Or are we gonna save an important document for the daimyo? Ne, ne?"

"Hmmmmm, something like that. But, you'll just have to find out tomorrow. Now let's go, I'll walk you home."

Naruto brightened and walked alongside Kakashi,"Hey, does that file thingy say where I live too?"

Kakashi smiled down amusedly at her and said,"Sure."

Naruto didn't care what it said in her file anymore because now, in Naruto's mind, today was a good day.


	3. Chapter 3

**(A/N: Please read the last A/N after this chapter is finished. Thank you!)**

_Two months later_

"No, no, no, no, not at all, nope!", Naruto disobeyed the Sandaime Hokage right to his face. Iruka's eyebrow twitched. "I ain't gonna take any more D-ranked missions anymore! I mean, have some compassion, would you, Jiji? We already had a combo of them for weeks-even months-in a row,", she exaggerated,"so please, please, _please_ give us some mercy by giving is at least a higher ranked mission.", Naruto begged shamelessly.

Sasuke thought,_'I also hate these D-ranked, so-called missions.'_

Sakura thought,_'Please, no more D-ranked torture!'_

Kakashi analyzed,_'Maybe the Tazuna Wave mission, or may I screwed up this timeline pretty bad, considering the fact that Team 7 passed differently from before.'_

Iruka stood from his seat,"Naruto,", he started out,"you have no respect for your Hokage! Especially since you are just a rookie, how do you have the _audacity_ to ask for more, you have to work your way up, Naruto!", Iruka scolded Naruto like a mother would.

The Sandaime nodded his head. He raised his hand as sign foe Iruka to stand down. The Hokage explained,"Every ninja village gets a numerous amount of missions, ranging from babysitting to assassination. These mission are categorized by ranks, in which yours was ranked a D-ranked mission. Now, see, there is a different category of shinobi, in which is categorized by their caliber. And explanation being that, excluding Kage, jounin would be strongest, chunin would be mid strongest, and genin would be least strongest. Now you bunch are just ge-"

The old Sarutobi stopped his speech when he saw Team 7,"Okay, so I got a pork ramen yesterday night, so that means that a miso ramen would be good tonight, huh Kakashi-sensei?", Naruto asked Kakashi.

Kakashi answered,"Of course, Naru.", Kakashi turned his head when a silence overlapped the room, with only himself talking. He turned his head to the Hokage and apologized,"O-oh, Hokage-sama!", he said while scratching the back of his head sheepishly.

"Bu-but please! Hokage-sama! I need this!", Naruto pleaded.

Iruka and the Hokage widened their eyes._ 'Whoa! Where did that come from?'_

The Hokage cleared his voice and said,"Fine then, Naruto-chan, because I do think you have matured, I'll grant you this C-ranked mission."

Team 7 widened their eyes unbelievably. The aged Sarutobi announced,"You can come out now, Tazuna-san."

"Humph! I'm going to get protected by these midgets then? Bah, whatever. Hello, my name is Tazuna and I am the super boat builder and cargo shipper."

Kakashi widened his eyes and thought,_'How much have I screwed up this timeline?'_

* * *

Tazuna was told to wait at the front gates and the children were sent to pack for thirty minuets while Kakashi stayed behind, frantically panicking in the Hokage's office. Hiruzen got worried,"Kakashi-kun, is something the matter?"

Kakashi snapped his head to his leader,"Yes, something is very wrong. But first, let me see the Time Travel Scroll.", the old Sarutobi nodded his head and went into the secret passageway to the Hokage Library. He took the scroll from the Forbidden section and went back to hand it to Kakashi.

Kakashi thanked him and fanned off dust from the scroll. He opened it with a drop of his chakra enhanced blood, and then it opened gracefully across the desk. He examined the scroll's many characters and widened his eyes.

Hiruzen stood patiently next to Kakashi, looking curiously at Kakashi. Kakashi then widened his eyes at the text he was looking for, and then read it out loud,"Because time is an intricate, but everlasting source, it can be manipulated impossibly by the slightest disturbance inflicted upon it."

Hiruzen gave a questioning look towards Kakashi, who took notice of this. "Hokage-sama, this is very different from my timeline, because you see, Tazuna was a bridge builder, not a boat builder or cargo shipper."

The Sandaime widened his eyes and asked Kakashi,"How will we get through this, Kakashi? If this is to happen, then what will become of the future? Did you do anything different from what you didn't do before?"

"Well, I changed the survival test for Team 7, but how does this effect Tazuna?", Kakashi worried.

"However, it did say that even with the slightest disturbance inflicted upon it, time could be impossibly manipulated.", the Hokage countered.

"Hmmmmm, manipulated. Even with the slightest disturbance?", Kakashi said, going into thinking mode. "Of course! Time could be manipulated! That means that if I can manipulate time the right way, then that means that I can change however way I want it to be. But seeing how changed it had became just I had changed the survival test, how is this even possible?", he said loudly, while analyzing the scroll once again.

"Hmmmm, if you can do this for the better, Kakashi, then I trust you, as it is a duty as a Konoha shinobi."

"Yes, but, I thought it would be more easier than this.", Kakashi stated. He continued,"Also, in out timeline, Tazuna lied about the ranking of the mission, in which was actually a high B to low A-ranked mission."

The aged Hokage widened his eyes, then concluded,"Nothing's ever easy the first time, Kakashi-kun. I'm sure that it was just this happening that caused Tazuna to not be a bridge builder.", he continued after a brief pause,"and don't you need to prepare for this mission, Kakashi-kun?"

Kakashi nodded in agreement at the first question, he then saw the time, seeing that it has already been thirty minuets. He saluted to the Hokage and then rushed out through the window. He then answered the next question,"Nope, I know I'm always prepared for the next missions to come. Anyways, I knew that this mission was next after the Tora one we did before."

"Wait, you'll still have to pay-ahhh forget it.", Hiruzen took out his pipe and smoked some tobacco.

* * *

"How am I going to be protected by you brats?", Tazuna complained.

Kakashi's students glared longingly at Tazuna, wanting to beat him up. It had already been thirty minuets from Konoha, and Kakashi was waiting for signs of a puddle. He scanned the area, then set sight of some green moss on a sunlight lit tree bark. _'Thats strange, probably gonna be an attack any time soon.'_

Kakashi replaced himself with kawarimi and stood prepared on a tree branch. He narrowed his eyes when the moss illusion faltered. A kunai was shot out to Kakashi's kawamiri, making him seem to be dead.

The rest of Team 7 were signified to their duties, even though it had seemed to be that Kakashi was dead. Kakashi narrowed his eyes at this-Naruto was unfazed from her duty, meaning that he didn't need to protect his team as much. The remaining Team 7 stood tall to their duties, as Naruto and Sasuke were fighting the Demon Brothers, and Sakura was positioned in front of Tazuna, as a sign of protection.

When the team defeated their foes, Naruto, as well, didn't get poisoned,_ 'Well, at least the Demon Brothers are the same.'_, Kakashi then jumped to the dirt floor.

"Kakashi-sensei!", both Sakura and Naruto said worriedly, with the exceptional worried look on Sasuke's expression. Tazuna had a shocked and relived look on his face. Kakashi raised his right hand, as a sign to hold stead. He walked over to Tazuna, who had cowered steadily.

"Is there something you didn't include in your mission request, Tazuna-san?", Kakashi interrogated. _'He could've harmed my cute little brats!'_

Tazuna clenched his teeth,"Jus-just that I might have a bigger trouble brewing.", Kakashi looked at him to continue,"There are missing-nin out for my life because of my cargo and boat building company. See, there is a man named Gato, who is after my little village, Wave. He wants to take over my business so that he monopolize my village. Even though our village is small, it was wealthy. He may underestimate us, but me and my village's people will hold their head high, but however, if this will go on, Gato's blows will go for the kill."

_'Well that is certainly different. He is wearing better clothes, unlike last time.'_, Kakashi thought while analyzing Tazuna's appearance. "Then why didn't you buy for a much larger ranking mission?"

"Even though we did say we were prosperous before the Gato incident, Gato somehow managed to take hold of us financially, making us quite poor, at this time. My villages and I have ahold on a B-ranked or two C-ranked, in which we picked the aftermath.", he paused then continued,"But, however, the one jounin that was sent here some couple months back had somehow was proclaimed back to the village, causing us to worry if your village knows of our circumstances. We had sent a letter by a slow deliverer, because we didn't want Gato to know that it wasn't urgent. We tried again, to get another mission, with me included along."

_'Another C-ranked? This is different too, but why does it sound so familiar?'_, Kakashi looked at Tazuna and then said,"What if this was considered illegal to which you had lied to the Hokage, himself? You would get terribly punished. I'm doing you a favor right now, Tazuna-san. Me and my team must head back."

"Wa-wait, Kakashi-sensei! We can't just leave this old man in the middle of the road to be killed! Have some compassion! And anyways, I want a real mission like this one. Please, please, please!", Naruto begged. Kakashi resisted the urge to pounce on her by pinching himself on the arm.

Sasuke nodded and Sakura looked worried. Kakashi narrowed his eyes and said,"Fine, but when I see that this mission is too unstable for us, I will deport it. Got it?"

Naruto grinned, Sasuke smirked, and Sakura looked unsteady. Tazuna widened his eyes at their compassion. _'The-these kids. Even though they are so small, they are very courageous. Maybe I've underestimated them too much.'_, he thought with a new light in his eyes.

"Thank you, thank you so much for your compassion!", Tazuna said gratefully. "Please, please come this way! You know this is a shortcut to Wave?"

Naruto looked uneasily when the fog thickened. Kakashi looked at her knowingly, wanting to very much assure her. A ruffle was heard from the bushes; Naruto threw a kunai towards the distance. A Snow Rabbit appeared-nothing to differentiate about.

Kakashi told the rest of the team and Tazuna to duck down while he stood tall and got out a Windmill Shuriken.

_Five._

_Four._

_Three._

_Two._

_One._

Kakashi threw the Windmill Shuriken at the Large sword, positioning it to head back towards Haku, who was hiding behind the large trees. Even though at the time Kakai couldn't sense Haku, well, that was what training was for.

Haku was startled when the large sword was headed towards him, almost being close to near death. His jumping fell out of sync, and he came tumbling down the trees. Haku cursed when his legs were left immobile from the impact. He then got on his stomach and dragged himself to a safe haven.

Kakashi was able to hear the beating heart of Haku, due to his past training and mastery of Silent Killing. He motioned for Tazuna and his team to stay down, while protecting Tazuna. Kakashi walked steadily, with a calm heart, towards Haku's destination.

* * *

Zabuza had narrowed eyes when his sword wasn't back to him._ 'Where is my sword? Did it kill 'em?'_

He sniffed the air, finding the only blood indication to be Haku's. He widened his eyes,_'Shoot!'_

He ran to find Haku.

Kakashi spotted a small trailing of blood that trailed into a shaggy bush. When he reached it, there was Haku, who looked emotionless behind his mask. "I know you're there."

Haku looked strait into Kakashi's sole eye. Haku replied,"Don't come near me. I do not want to have to kill you."

"You should be worrying about yourself, Haku."

Haku widened his eyes and said,"How do you know my name?"

Kakashi stayed silent, then replied,"I know both your and Zabuza's outcome after I complete this mission-and it will lead to both your guy's untimely death."

"And why do you think that, Kakashi? Cocky much, I must say. Even though you are an S-ranked shinobi, doesn't mean you can kill everyone you cross.", Zabuza stated from behind Kakashi.

Kakashi said,"Hmmm, but you're practically powerless without your sword, aren't you Zabuza?"

Zabuza smirked,"Seems to me that I'm pretty famous for you to know about me, Kakashi.", his teeth showed to be shark-like.

Kakashi spun behind facing and then throwing shuriken as fast as the speed of light at Zabuza. Zabuza grinned and dodged the projectiles amazingly quick. Kakashi shouted out,**"Mizu no Tatsumaki!"**, in which created a spinning voted-like tornado of water, headed towards Zabuza.

Zabuza shouted out,**"Mizu Bunshin no Jutsu!"**, the water clone then set out in from of the tornado of water and collided with it, making the sinning vortex useless. Kakashi smirked jumped up on a thick tree branch. He threw kunai with ninja wire attached from their handles, and threw them into a circumference from the area Zabuza was at by colliding the kunai into a circle-like rotation in between the trees, in which was bound to come back to Kakashi.

And when the kunai was then received back to Kakashi, Kakashi then cut the ninja wire with his chakra. After this action, he then attached another kunai to the wire's naked end. This attack was reached upon a set of trees that were surrounded circularly about the point that was Zabuza.

Zabuza stared at Kakashi dumbly, as he was trying to get what Kakashi was trying to do,_'Is he stalling, or is he just plain stupid to throw some kunai on some trees?'_, Zabuza shrugged his shoulders and then quickly made the hand seals for a new Jutsu,"Suiton: Suiryūdan no Jutsu!", the large water dragon beast was launched quickly towards Kakashi, and onto the many blind spots Kakashi withheld.

Kakashi smirked, and in a lightning quick movement, he enforced the ninja wire with chakra, making the wire even more razor sharp. He then pulled the wire forward, with a massive amount of chakra focused on his arms, causing the wire to cut through the masses of trees, and down to Zabuza and the water dragon, making both of them useless.

Zabuza saw what just happened, and opened his mouth starstruck. "_What. The. Heck?_"

The many tons of trees came piling onto Zabuza, enough to leave him immobile for a week, but not enough to kill him. Kakashi smiled and said, "Bye, bye, Zabuza!", at to which Zabuza cursed at him.

Kakashi then turned away from Zabuza, then shunshied to where Team 7 and Tazuna were at.

* * *

Naruto sighed an boredom. "_Humph!_ Where the heck is Kakashi-sensei?", she said, turned around to the team and Tazuna.

"I'm right here, Naru.", Kakashi replied behind her neck.

"_Eeeeeepp!_", she turned around, facing Kakashi,"Don't do that!", she pointed at him accusingly.

Kakashi laughed out loudly. "Come here.", he stated. They listened and went to where the now unconscious Haku was.

"Who's that?", Sakura questioned. She then said grimly,"Are they dead?"

"_No!_ No.", Kakashi answered, then said,"A boy named Haku."

Naruto walked over to him and poked him with a stick and then said,"Are you sure? Cause I don't want anybody haunting me in the future for the rest of my life.", Naruto said a bit horrified.

"No, he's just unconscious, for sure.", Kakashi defended. "We'll leave him there for now."

Naruto narrowed her eyes and then gave in. She then spotted a mass of trees that collapsed on the ground. "Whoa! What happened here!?"

Kakashi then bragged with a smirk,"Your Sensei did it, ya know."

Tazuna felt a bit uneasy when some missing-nin were still alive, bound to be killin him anytime soon in the near future. However, he kept his mouth shut, not wanting to disagree with the people who were helping him.

"What? But you seem weak!", Naruto said, once again, accusingly. Sasuke and Sakura also nodded their heads.

Kakashi felt a blow to his ego-his wife and students just insulted him right in front of his face.

Naruto felt a pang of guilt in her for some reason and then apologized, by saying,"Nah, we're just kidding, Kakashi-sensei! Take a joke, will ya? We already knew you were the strongest sensei out of the other ones.", Naruto complimented.

Kakashi smiled when he knew that the Mating Mark caused that. He did also felt his ego boost. He then said,"Why, thank you. Anyways, a missing nin, Zabuza of Kirigakure, is under that load of trees. But anyways, don't worry. We have to get Tazuna's and wave's safety first in our set of priorities in this mission, got it?"

They all nodded, and then set out to go to shore and into Wave.

Tsunami glomped her father, worriedly. She looked for injuries and such, but found nothing. She set out to Team 7 and said,"Thank you, thank you guys so much for letting us have the liberty of you on our side! Thank you for keeping my father safe! Come, come, you all must be hungry! Let's go inside my home and fix up a meal. I have two rooms already set up, and please would you arrange the sleeping arrangements?"

The middle-aged woman led Team 7 to her front door and gave them a tour to the house. She then led them the the dining table and set out prepared and delicious food for them. Naruto said,"Mmmm! I've never really tried home cooked meals before, but this is delicious!"

Sasuke and Sakura looked sadly at Naruto, while Kakashi, who sat next to her, felt the real pain in her heart. Even though Team 7 consisted mostly of orphans, they still had the opportunities of home cooked meals in their adolescents, before their parents deaths. Even though something as little as a home cooked meal from your parents is normal to most, these things could be easily taken for granted.

"Itadakimasu!", they all said together and chowed down their respective meals.

"Be sure to eat enough food guys!", Kakashi said, implying to the three genin,"Because we are going to be training, starting today, and then throughout this whole week."

* * *

_Day 1_

"Okay, team, today, we will learn a chakra exercise, to which will help you to not waste chakra. Per say, an example to this is Naruto and her use of Kage Bunshin no Jutsu. I can tell that by the way she make her clones is with more than enough chakra to the, causing her to waste her chakra.", he paused for a second,"Also, this exercise, out of the many, will help you use not too little chakra for a jutsu to work by on. Another example of this is Naruto once again. Sometimes, when she uses her shadow clone technique, she uses a bit less chakra, however only a little less that it could still be manifested. However, these clones will be useless, due to the problem that it will be limited on a short period of time. Any questions?"

Naruto raised her hand and said,"Thanks for putting me on blast, Kakashi-sensei.", Sakura punched her upside the head for _'disrespecting the teacher.'_

"Ouch!"

Sakura raised her hand,"Wait. If a little chakra will limit the time on say, the Shadow Clone, then doesn't that mean vice-versa, as in wouldn't it prolong the time limit to the Kage Bunshin?", she said productively.

Kakashi then replied,"In most cases, just one Kage Bunshin can eat up all of your chakra, making it useless in both manners, but, however, in Naruto's case, she has an abundant amount of chakra, meaning nothing to her, but in the real world, yes it does."

Naruto smirked cockily at Sasuke, who narrowed his eyes at her. They were set apart from their mini staring contest when Kakashi stated,"Let's start!"

"Today we will learn how to climb trees."

Kakashi's students looked at him crazily. Kakashi smirked and climbed up the tree with no hands. This got the genin's attention. "Do you guys wanna learn now?"

All nodded and looked at Kakashi for guidance. Kakashi smiled and taught,"Well, first, you all have to gather chakra solely onto your feet. Try to use a minimum amount of chakra, meaning not too much or not too little. When you already focused your chakra to your feet, try to then focus most of the chakra to the heels of your feet, and then the rest of the chakra to the rest of your entire feet."

The genins let the information sync into their minds, and tried out the new discovery.

Of course, Sakura got to the top of the branch the first time. Sasuke and Naruto, this time actually came to about a quarter of the tree.

Kakashi widened his eyes. _'Wow. My genin are geniuses!'_, he then said loudly,"Oh my goodness guys! I didn't even predict that this would happen! Especially since this is the first time you guys did this also! I knew that Sakura would make it to the top, but for you, Sasuke and Naruto, to be up a quarter! That's just amazing, considering the fact that both of you have bigger amounts of chakra.", he complimented; they all blushed bashfully.

"Stop it, Kakashi-sensei! You're making me not focus on tree climbing from all of your niceness!", Naruto yelled. Kakashi smiled at the accusation.

"Okay, okay, I'll stop.", Kakashi surrendered.

By two hours time, Team 7 officially mastered the tree climbing exercise.

* * *

"Whoa, Kalashi-sensei! It's like your a magician! You're actually walking on water!", Naruto said amazedly.

"Hn.", Sasuke said, trying hard not to look impressed.

"This is so cool, Kakashi-sensei!", Sakura complimented.

"Why, thank you.", Kakashi said. "Now let's see. This is called the Water Walking Exercise. This exercise is a lot more difficult than the last one because you're all walking on a moving surface. This means a lot more concentration, in your matter. The motive of this exercise it to use a layer of chakra on your feet, in which using i repellant force. My trick to this exercise is to gather the most chakra to the soles of you feet, because that is what you use to keep balance, such as the Tree Climbing Exercise. However, the more difficult part of this challenge is that you are on moving water, meaning a constant change of chakra used. Now you guys try it."

Sakura frowned and asked,"What about our clothes?"

Kakashi looked to her,"It doesn't matter, you can take then on or off."

Sakura frowned, but went on with her clothes, good thing she had three extra pairs of clothing. When she stepped on it, she walked about twenty seconds, then fell through the surface.

Going on several other times, Sakura got the hang of the exercise and wobbled across the lake steadily.

Kakashi smiled at her progress and then looked at Sasuke's and Naruto's progress. They had been on it several time, only to land into the water. Kakashi called out to them,"Remember to only concentrate on your walking-not about your surroundings or any thing, except for your feet."

Naruto and Sasuke looked at Kakashi, and then together. They both had determined looks set on their faces.

By four hours time, team 7 partially mastered the Water Walking Exercise.

* * *

Kakashi smiled and ruffled all of the genin's hair playfully. "Good job, Team! You did very well today!"

They all blushed in embarrassment. Kakashi continued,"When I first started that exercise, I had actually taken about double the time you all had taken.", he complimented.

The team all had small smiles on their faces-including Sasuke's. Kakashi sighed in nostalgia, thinking,_'If it were only like last time-if only I had actually took notice of them and not have taken them for granted, then things would have been different.'_, he thought with a neutral face.

Naruto frowned,"Kakashi-sensei? Is there something wrong?"

Kakashi, Sasuke, and Sakura turned to Naruto and faced her confusedly. Kakashi analyzed,_'Must be the mark.'_

"Ahh, Naruto, I'm just jealous of all your guy's capabilities. That's all.", the Team gave him a weird stare when he started to laugh awkwardly, while scratching the back of his head.

Naruto narrowed her eyes, but stopped when Kakashi told them,"Let's get back inside to eat, it's almost dinner time."

Team 7 walked back to Tazuna's place.

* * *

"Mmmmm! Tsunami-san! This is sooo good! What is it?", Naruto exclaimed.

Tsunami smiled at her compliment,"Thank you, it's called _Shabu Shabu_, Naruto-chan."

Sakura looked around the medium-sized diner room. She skimmed across a picture with a tear on which a man's face was supposed to be. She narrowed her emerald orbs,"Tsunami-san, who's this supposed to be?"

The mood in the diner room turned grim when the family of three bowed their heads down in sorrow. Tsunami spoke first,"The man who was torn out was my husband."

Tazuna cut in,"He was a hero to this country and to my company. He had died for my sake because he had framed himself that he was the owner on my company, in which Gato took notice of treason. See here, that I have been one to steadily keep this country alive, with many others too, but we can only do so much."

Inari lifted his head and to his grandfather with enraged eyes,"Tazuna! I hate you!"

Tazuna visibly flinched, however, he should get used to the new title anyways, because he had been called that name from Inari ever since that incident.

Inari continued,"And you guys trying to be heroes! Because no matter how hard you try, Gato's only gonna beat you down where all of you belong! Because when facing the strong, only the weaker get killed! You all do not know about this country, so stop being nosy bout it!", Inari sniffled,"You don't know bout me! You all are always so cheerful, so how would you all know how hard life can be?!"

Naruto spoke out in a shuffle,"So, it's all okay for you to cry like a baby all day long?", Naruto stood up, with her long hair flowing about, and cried out,"Just keep on crying about you big idiot! You're just being a big sissy!", she ran out of the house, and into the woods.

Inari, too, ran out into his room.

Tsunami saw her family chemistry and shook her head. She got to her feet and walked briskly to the room Inari was in, to go and comfort him.

Kakashi made note of this and shook his head.

Later that night, Kaka

I saw that Inari was out on the shore. He walked towards him without sound and said,"Hey..."

* * *

Haku got to his feet to prepare for the day.

**Flashback**

_'Zabuza-san, Zabuza-san. Wake up!', Haku shook his savior._

_'Huh? What happened?!', he screamed in surprise when he saw the many trees that fallen dead beside him._

_Haku shook his head and said,'The Konoha-nin. I suspected that more of them are here, probably about three others. You must be careful though, because when I was sensing them, one had the chakra as big as a kage's.'_

_Zabuza widened his eyes in surprise when he did finally remembered. 'Kakashi.', he growled out. He tried to stand up, however to no avail when his legs wouldn't move. He shook off the branches and trees off his legs and saw that they were covered in bruises. _

_'Haku, help me up. This might take a while to heal.'_

_Haku nodded his head and then shunshied out of the forest._

**Flashback End**

Haku strolled down through the path to the meadow where many healing herbs were located at. He noticed an orange figure up ahead._ 'Huh? What's that?'_

He sensed a large chakra signature from it and narrowed his eyes._ 'Could it be one of the Konoha-nin?'_

He saw that the person was sleeping-or just laying down-so he went to discover. Haku noticed that it was a girl, so he decided to wake her up.

"Huh?", Naruto yawned. She widened her eyes when she saw a beautiful girl. Naruto then said, "What's goin on here?"

Haku replied,"it is about ten o'clock, and you are still laying about. I decided to wake you up. However, why is it that you are sleeping here?"

Naruto replied back,"Cause children are stupid.", she said bluntly.

Haku raised a brow at this,"Excuse me?"

Naruto sighed,"It's cause I dislike it when people go and jump the gun and judge me for who I am or am not."

Haku smiled at this and said,"I, for one, actually know how you feel. Because of who I am, my heritage was wiped out because some people decided that we were...different.", Haku then continued,"However, because of one person, I decided that life was worth living for, because now I have a precious person. Don't you have many precious people worth fighting for?"

Naruto widened her cerulean eyes at this and said,"I also have many precious people in my life too, ummmm..."

"Haku."

"...Haku, by the way, the names Uzumaki, Naruto. This includes my team, Iruka-sensei, Jiji, the Iciraku's, and I can't think of anymore.

Haku smiled endearingly towards Naruto. "Now are you just going to lie down there, or or are you going to help me?"

Naruto smiled and said,"Yes Mi-"

Haku interrupted,"By the way, I'm a guy."

Naruto was agape, as she awkwardly trudged down to help the now boy-Haku.

* * *

Kakashi whistled down the road to where Naruto was found the last time Tham 7 had the Tazuna-Wave mission-only that this time, Kakashi was going to find Naruto, not Sasuke.

_'Yay! More time with my Dearie!'_

He practically skipped to the meadow, until he saw Haku. Kakashi narrowed his eyes. _'This Haku kid better not steal my girl!'_, he growled threateningly to no one in particular. _'Hahaha! Time for rude interruption time!'_, he cackled inside his mind.

Kakashi then took out his book and started to walk towards the conversationalists. "Oh! Hi there, Naru!", he walked I between the middle, facing his back toward Haku, and his chest towards Naruto.

Naruto narrowed her eyes and said,"What are you doing here Kakashi-sensei?", she asked suspiciously.

"Well, we're starting training right now, so if you don't mind joining this training session, Naru?"

Naruto's eyes widened exceedingly,"Whaa! Kakashi-sensei! What are we gonna do?!"

"You'll have to come with me to find out.", he whispered in her ear.

Haku narrowed his eyes when he was left ignored. However, his eyes widened when he saw Kakashi narrow his eyes at him, while speaking to Naruto.

_'He knows! He must have been spying on us while on our last conversation!'_, Haku panicked in his mind. He then called out for Naruto,"Naruto-chan! Bye! I have to go now."

Kakashi smirked in his achievement. He then grabbed onto Naruto's arm, and dragged her away with him.

* * *

_Day 2_

"Don't go around with strangers, Naruto-chan. Especially boys!", Kakashi warned.

Naruto looked at him weirdly and said,"I'm a konoichi, Kakashi-sensei!"

"Doesn't mean you can go to strangers, you know."

They headed towards their training destination and found Sakura and Sauke waiting for them. Sakura gave Naruto a worried but scolding look and Sasuke gave no signs of emotion.

Kakashi started,"Today, Team, you are going to learn _Bukijutsu_."

* * *

Hiruzen was doing his paperwork on his desk when he suddenly came across a letter. "Hmmmm?", he said with curiosity. It stated the print date of about three months ago. The old Sarutobi narrowed his eyes,'My paperwork's this old?'

He set the letter on the other side, in which it stated,Tazuna of Wave.

Hiruzen lifted his brow at this,_'Wasn't Tazuna the one who was here earlier?'_, Hiruzen then proceeded to open the letter:

_Dear Hokage-sama, _

_ Whilst not being a complaint, this letter is to notify you for the absence of the shinobi given to us for our request during this time for a C-ranked. By not being at the rendezvous point by the destined time, I have assumed somthing was off. Doing so, because the shinobi-namely jounin-was proclaimed absent, we would like to be sent another one ASAP. _

_Sincerely,_

_Tazuna of Wave_

Hiruzen was in wonder of who the shinobi was, in which he went to the last three months of mission scrolls. Getting into the C-ranked section, the list narrowed considerably, especially when he searched for jounins. He narrowed his eyes when he got into the_ 'H' _section.

"Hmmmm, Wave, Wave, Tazuna, Wave...?..._Hatake, Kakashi?_"

**(A/N: Should Haku and Zabuza or should just Haku or just Zabuza be saved-if that makes sense. Anyways, comment in the reviews section, and for the winning casted votes, I'll be sure to include the outcome in the next chapters. Anyways, thank you for those who take time to read this fanfic, and especially, thank you for those who review, favorite and follow. Till next time!)**


	4. Chapter 4

**(A/N: Yeah, sorry guys. This chapter pretty- no really, really, really late. It was all school, so don't blame me entirely. Also, sorry if this chapter is sucky, I tend to do so when I procrastinate- especially during school. Man, I hate school, but whatever, life is life. Anyways, thank you guys for being so patient and bearing with me. Enjoy!)**

"Today, team, we will learn _Bukijutsu_."

Naruto raised her hand while jumping up and down,"Ne, ne, Kakashi-sensei! What's Bukijutsu?"

Sakura answered for Kakashi,"You Baka! Don't you ever listen in class, you Dummy Head! Bukijutsu is the art of weaponry, such as shuriken and kunai, and swords, etc. Or more defined, Bukijutsu are techniques that entail the use of any handheld weapons in combat, whether the users are either shinobi or samurai."

"Correct, Sakura.", Kakashi complimented.

"Wait! What do you mean _'learn'_, Kakashi-sensei? Didn't we already learn about this in the academy?", Naruto wined.

"Yes, but, since you didn't know what Bukijutsu was, Naruto, that means you didn't learn it. And anyways, this will be a more advanced training. Here, I'll test your Bukijutsu skills right now.", Kakashi explained.

Sasuke scoffed when he heard of this _'advanced training.'_ He, in his mind, thought that this training will not surpass his already expanded Bukijutsu area. Kakashi saw this and smirked.

Kakashi led all three genin to a training spot he prepared. Three stumps were lain ahead with three targets nailed onto each stump. Kakashi explained,"I want you all to try and to get five or more kunai or shuriken on your targets. You will all be 30 meters away in the beginning, and will proceed to go 5 meters farther after each time you all successfully hit on the target. Also, if you hit exactly on the bullseye, proceed two more meters than the original, counting in all, 7 meters. So the maximum you all can do is 50 meters if you only hit the target with no bulls eyes, and 58 meters if you hit all bulls eyes."

Kakashi took a breather,"Also, if you do not hit the target five times successfully by the time limit, which is an hour and thirty minuets, then there will be a punishment, got it?"

All three genin were thinking the same thing- to try to at least hit the target at least five times.

Kakashi told all three to prepare with any shuriken and kunai they all have. He then said,"Start!"

Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura paced up to the 30 meter mark, in front of their targets, and started to hit their targets. Sasuke, of course, hit the first target on its bullseye, in which he proceeded on to 37 meters. Naruto gritted her teeth when she saw Sasuke's cocky remark when he turned to her. After her third try, she finally hit her target on it's third line. She proceed on to 35 meters. Sakura saw that she was getting left behind, so she started to throw her shuriken awry, in which in her fifth try, she finally hit the target on its fifth line; Sakura proceeded on to 35 meters.

Over this span of action, ten minuets have passed. Sasuke, then again, hit the target on its bullseye once again, making it to the next 7 meters. Sakura gave precision on her next swipe, causing her, on her next try, to proceed 5 meters. Naruto went on 5 meters after her seventh try. This time twenty more minuets have passed.

During the next forty-five minuets, Sasuke was done with his training with 53 meters. In the next 15 minuets, Sakura finished with 50 meters, and by the time Naruto finished, she had done 45 meters.

They were all told to pick up their thrown kunai and shuriken and when all finished their tasks, all were left to wait under the shade. Naruto gulped when she saw Kakasi heading towards them, because she now had a punishment to retrieve.

Kakashi felt a small sign of timidity creep into his heart. He stood in front of his team while first facing Naruto. She gulped again when Kakashi started to say,"Naruto, I'll decide your punishment later, so be ready."

Naruto sighed when Kakashi turned to the rest of the team. "Okay, good job guys. Even though that improved your training quite a bit, I'm still going to train you with a better method- moving targets."

The whole team raised a brow. Kakashi eye smiled,"Firstly, I need you, Naruto, to help me."

Naruto went to him,"What do you need me to do, Kakashi-sensei?"

"I need you to create about a hundred shadow clones for me."

"Uh, sure, okay. **Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!**", she exclaimed with crossed fingers. Sakura and Sasuke looked disbelievingly at Naruto but gasped when she did create a hundred clones.

Naruto smirked at Sasuke's surprised face. She slurred at him,"Hm, betcha can't do this, Teme.", she taunted at him.

Sasuke glared at her and turned to Kakashi, trying to tune out her taunts. Sakura fumed at Naruto,"Naruto-baka! How dare you disrespect Sasuke-kun.", Sakura then went her way to beat Naruto, who was screaming at fright of the very violent Sakura.

"Wait, guys!", Kakashi said in between,"The reason why I told Naruto to make the Shadow Clones are that they are supposed to be the moving targets."

The hundred clones made complaints,"Wow! I was brought to this world only to be a moving target!", "Who do you think we are!?", "Do you know clones have lives too?", "I'm outta here!"

The real Naruto said,"Be quite you dummies!"

The clones replied back,"Who do you think you are, huh? You wanna fight me?"

Naruto replied with wrath,"Oh, bring it on!", all the clones toppled onto Naruto, who screamed,"I'm your creator, so you should obey me!"

"She's a tyrant! We're living under a tyrant!"

The rest of the team sweatdropped at Naruto and her other selves antics. Kakashi went in between them again to retrieve Naruto. When he got her out, she asked him,"Wait, Kakashi-sensei, how'd ya know this was the real me?"

Kakashi almost gave his position away,"Oh, umm, lucky guess? I mean you were the loudest one there."

Naruto looked at him odd and then gave him a sunny smile. Kakashi sucked in his breath as his heart fluttered, he smiled at her too. Naruto saw the crease marks in his mask and her heart flutter too; she tangled out of his arms. Naruto had an embarrassed blush on her face. Sasuke and Sakura looked suspicious of the two's relationship.

Kakashi ran out of the embarrassment by turning to and commanded the clones,"Okay, all of you will be moving targets for your creator and her teammates, okay?"

All the clones nodded as Naruto gaped as Kakashi just commanded them as if they were his. Kakashi then turned to his team and said,"Remember, teamwork is always the answer. And if you use this teamwork correctly and doing so by hitting one hundred clones, I might train you all in a Jutsu that I'll recommend or that you want individually."

Naruto, Sakura, and even Sasuke thought deeply about this and nodded to each other in agreement. Kakashi widened his eyes,_'Wait- they're not gonna fight or anything? It's that easy?'_

Kakashi shook his head. He motioned for the Shadow Clones to start to move and avoid any weapons hurled at them. Kakashi also told them to try to attack the three.

Kakashi took in a deep breath,"Okay, now the clones are rigged to also going to try to attack you. Go!"

Sasuke motioned for Naruto and Sakura to follow his movement and read through them, they nodded. Sasuke started by taking out a shuriken for each finger crease, in which Naruto and Sakura followed. Sasuke then crouched down and looked at Naruto. Naruto widened her eyes and realized this. She jumped on the hinds behind his back, seeming that it is a spring, in which she twirled as she jumped, hitting spot on eight clones. Sakura looked at Sasuke for guidance, which he motioned for her to throw the shuriken in an _'x'_ pattern, taking out four clones.

Kakashi checked out twelve clones.

Sasuke sighed when they got through at least ten clones. He then ran up a tree with chakra coating his feet. He then purposely stepped on a dead branch, taking out four clones that was under the branch. He then flipped backwards and then using his shuriken cuffed hands to blow onto fourteen clones.

Kakashi checked out thirty clones.

Sasuke landed on his feet. Naruto then told Sakura to connect arms from their elbows from their backs, in which Sakura was to lift Naruto up, whilst rotating around. This successful blew up another ten clones.

Kakashi checked out forty-clones.

With the same duo, Sakura and Naruto, with linked right and left arms, both went towards the lake. See, Naruto was still uneasy about water walking, in which the five clones on the waterbed were also uneasy. However, with Sakura, Naruto was held up by Sakura from the arm, in which making both an unstoppable duo.

Kakashi checked out forty-five clones.

Getting back onto land, Sakura and Naruto were surrounded by a crowd of clones. Sasuke saw this and defeated the five remaining Naruto's. He jumped off of the tree and landed next to the back-to-back partners. He joined in with their backs when the many clones surrounded them. The trio hacked and slashed onto the Naruto clones, causing each to defeat ten each.

Kakashi checked out eighty clones.

The three went out together to find the last twenty. As when they were done, Kalashi finally managed to check out one hundred clones.

The three were panting hard and covered in sweat and dirt. They all fell to the floor with each back-to-back. Kakashi smiled genuinely when he saw no malice in each students eye of pseudo teamwork. Kakashi smiled even more of how hard working that y'all were when he have each water. He concluded,"Good job, guys! I'm so proud of you all. You all deserve the reward."

"Wow, I totally forgot about that!", Naruto exclaimed loudly.

Both Sakura and Sasuke knitted their brows while they all agreed. They all then smiled- even Sasuke. Kakashi helped all of them up as they walked back to Tazuna's home.

* * *

"What is it this time, Tsunami-san?", Naruto asked.

"Oh, Naruto-chan, today, we're eating oden.", Tsunami answered motherly.

Naruto smiled as another new food, to her, was going to be served at dinner.

As the team finished their dinner, Tsunami called out to Tazuna,"Father, I'll have to clean the dishes now. Would you mind to take care of the groceries for me?"

Tazuna said,"Fine then."

Naruto looked confused, it was already eight o'clock. She then questioned,"Whait, why now? It's dark out and the moon's shining."

Tsunami sighed,"This is going to be our average lifestyle from now because Gato is getting control of the marketing slowly, and especially since I came from Father's family. His guards are now resting, so now we all have the chance to shop more relaxed."

Kakashi then popped up,"Oh, I know your punishment now, Naruto. You have to get the groceries."

"Wa-wait, at night?", Naruto shallowed about.

Kakashi answered,"Well, it is a punishment."

Naruto knitted her brows together as she thought,_'What if the ghost catch me?'_, however, outside, Naruto exclaimed,"Humph! Are you underestimating me, Kakashi-sensei? Well, it'll be an easy task anyways, so hah!"

Kakashi shook his head I'm amusement when he felt her deepest, darkest, fear- ghosts. He clicked his tongue, which riled up Naruto, who said,"Huh? What are you trying to say, Kakashi-sensei?", she said mockingly.

Kakashi just laughed her off; she pouted. He then told her,"Fine then, suit yourself, Naru. I was going to go with you anyways, but seems to me that you don't need it. Go later in about ten minuets. Bye!"

Naruto watched as Kakashi's back disappeared when he turned the corner. She bit her nails in nervousness. _'Darn it! I only have five minuets!'_, Naruto ran out of the house, and into the woods.

* * *

Naruto didn't seem like the type of person who would actually be actually be afraid of ghosts, nevertheless believe in them. She skipped sullenly through the woods, in hopes of finding the shopping district closer that it usually is.

_'Creak'_, a pile of forestry crunched. Naruto snapped her head to the back.

_'What the heck was that?'_, she first thought,'Nah, must be my imaginat-?'

_'Crackle'_, the same sound was made, only longer.

_'What the freak?'_, Naruto paced her steps more briskly. Her arms swooped violently side to side, as now, she was running. She then thought_,'Wa-wait, I read this in an article. If you run away from ghosts, this'll attract them even more, making it inevitable for escape from them!'_, Naruto was now mentally panicking.

_'Be calm, be calm. They're not gonna hurt yo-'_

"Boo."

Naruto ran out of the clearing as fast as she could with a shriek captured on her mouth. The thing followed her, until Naruto was finally close enough to pounce on.

_'Hmm, pounce on Naru? Always wanted to do that.'_, the thing thought. It then literally pounced on Naruto, who was screaming for her life. The thing held her mouth from going even louder.

Naruto saw that this thingy was wearing an all black outfit, in which the outfit was only some black garbage bag with face cutouts. _'Who the heck does is thing kidding?'_

She then proceeded to take off its costume. She narrowed her eyes when a silver head popped out. She then widened them,"Ka-Kakashi-sensei!?"

"What?"

"Why are you even dressed like this?! And chasing me?"

Kakashi said,"Just because."

She narrowed her widened eyes,"I thought you told me that you weren't gonna walk me?"

"Why would I leave a young lady, such as yourself, to go out alone when Gato's men could still be out?"

Naruto looked heartfelt at Kakashi,_'He cares.'_

Kakashi smiled at her hearty feelings. He then added,"I dressed up like a ghost because when I found out that you were afraid of them, I just couldn't resist. And anyways, it was also part of your punishment. By the way, you're so easy to read, almost like a book."

Naruto hissed at him. Kakashi smiled brightly as he said,"Come on, let's go get some groceries."

* * *

"Okay, let's get he items. You'll go to that isle, and I'll go to this one. We'll have to get some tomatoes and potatoes, milk, soy beans, bean sprouts, radish, chicken, pork, and beef, oh, and fish. Now for the fruits: peaches, strawberries, apples, and pears. Tsunami said that these things were always in packages, so we don't need to worry about size or amount. So then you, Naru, will get the fruits and meats, and I'll get the rest.", Kakashi explained.

"Huh? Okay, okay. This'll be far more easier then if I had to go alone. Thanks, Kakashi-sensei.", Naruto thanked.

Kakashi smiled and stretched his back. He walked to his part of the grocery store.

* * *

_Day Three_

"Today, we are going to enhance your Bukijutsu skills and more.", Kakashi told his team,

They looked more interested now. Kakashi smiled,"Today, we will learn how to have more speed."

They frowned, Naruto asked,"But didn't we also have this training on the academy, and by the way, aren't Shinobi supposed to have more speed than the average civilian?"

"On that, you are correct, but the more speed the better. If your opposed has the skill set of four speed points, and you only have two, who do you think will win?", Kakashi included.

Naruto frowned at the hidden meaning of a quick death. She then nodded her head with the rest of the team. Kakashi brightened up,"Here are some weights that are ten pounds. By the time you can run this Field five times successfully and not dying in exhaustion, I will grant five more pounds to your weights. So firstly, you start with five pounds on each leg, this number will maximize to about...maybe fifty pounds if you are very motivated. But, let's make a deal."

They all thought curiously, Kakashi continued,"If only one of you get to fifty pounds by the end of this week, which is in four days, you all don't have to do any D-ranked missions for a whole week."

The three youngest team members widened their eyes. Naruto and Sasuke had the look of rivalry etched on their faces. They smirked at each other, then Naruto said,"Bring it on Kakashi-sensei!", she was at the beginning of the field.

Kakashi said to her,"I haven't enhance your Bukijutsu skills yet, though."

The team fell, bored, to the floor.

In about two hours time, the team finally enhanced their Bukijutsu skills.

"Weights time!", Kakashi announced.

The three genin ran over to Kakashi,"Ne, Kakashi-sensei, how will using training weights effect our speed positively? I mean, aren't they going to rip our muscles?", Sakura asked.

"Ripping...muscles?", Naruto imagined this while speaking aloud. She looked horrified at Kakashi.

"No-no! I mean, yes they will rip your muscles-", Kakashi was interrupted.

"Rip the muscles?!", Naruto screamed horrified.

Kakashi continued to defend himself,"This training process will rip your muscles apart, by slightly stretching them, however, after your muscles completely heal, a new layer of muscles appear, in which making you accelerate in your speed. This, of course, is the traditional way to increase one's speed, as shinobi of all kind have been doing it for centuries. So nothing too harmful here."

He took objects that seemingly looked like beads. Kakashi explained,"These are prayer beads that...a friend gave to me.", he thought about Gai,"It's a type of fuinjutsu, which is naturally called, Sealing Technique: Four Limbs Weighting Seal. Each of these beads glow different colors, which signifies the stage of your training. It glows white, to blue, to yellow, to green, and then lastly red. If you reach the color red, then that means that you have completed your fifty pounds(twenty-five pounds on each leg/ankle.)"

Kakashi then handed out the weights, three sets in all, ten pounds each. He added,"I rigged it so that it can hold up to fifty pounds." The three took the weights and buckled them on to their legs. The five pounds on each of their legs were enough to keep them running in a quick pace. They then walked over to the handmade running course and ran it quickly five times in less than five minuets.

"Hmm, good job guys. Not too shabby for some fresh genins.", Kakashi complimented.

Their beads glowed blue, in which making their weights weigh another two and a half pounds on each leg. Altogether, fifteen pounds were set into their training.

The students ran another five laps, this time a bit more slowly, with about eight minuets. Their beads glowed into a light blue, causing then to gain another tow and a half pounds in each leg. Kakashi then took them in for a ten minuet break.

"Wait, I could do more, Kakashi-sensei!", Naruto whined.

"Yes, I know that all of you have enough stamina each to go another five laps, but it's not so good to your muscles, as they might become permanently damaged. Allow them to heal so that you will have much more of a capacity of speed and usefulness."

"Kay then.", Naruto said.

After ten minuets, the three genins walked back to their training course to begin another session.

At the end of the day, Team 7 completed to enhance their Bukijutsu skills and improve their speed to the color, yellow.

* * *

Kakashi was thinking to himself as for a way to prepare his students for the upcoming Zabuza and Haku v. Team 7 battle. He sighed,_'The only way to do so is to gain more power. Maybe, I should have left them to battle with Zabuza...hahaha-no. I just can't go the past again! Maybe, maybe...I should...awaken the Sharingan?'_

* * *

_Day Four_

"Training will be a little different today, as it will be a survival test.", Kakashi said.

Sakura stated,"But didn't we already do one in the beginning of this genin course?"

"Yes, but, this will be a real world training experience- more deadly. It will teach you about what shinobi life is like, what you all chose to be or what you were brought up to be.", Kakashi remarked.

They all gulped, even a small swallow was heard from Sasuke. Kakashi continued,"Imagine that enemy shinobi surround your camping area, what would you do? This will test out all your guy's skill set, whether or not you're ready for the real world."

"Begin.", Kakashi shunshied behind a bush.

Naruto and Sakura and Sasuke were back to back, and crouched, ready for combat. Their slick kunai and sharp shuriken glistened in the noon sun. A quiet stillness was heard, only the sounds of breathing and heartbeats were served.

_Boom! _An explosive kunai was drawn out in the middle of their back-to-back display. They scattered into their hiding places when a bouquet of shuriken came raining down on them.

Their intruder was quick and fast paced. Naruto narrowed her eyes and then widened them,_'Speed-'_

**"Fūton: Daitoppa!"**, a gust of wind blew Naruto off course when she was about to inactivate her weights. She quickly dodged the next barrage of wind and deactivated her weights. She ran to where both Sasuke and Sakura were,_'Dang! I feel as light as a feather!'_, she thought chirpily as she ran.

"Sakura-chan, Teme! Deactivate your weights! It'll give ya enough speed to avoid the incoming attacks!", Naruto implied.

**"Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!"**, a large fireball skirted to the three genins as they avoided it by ducking low. Sasuke got into action and took out an exploding kunai,_'The fireball came from the center of the array of the five trees. Kakashi-sensei must be in the standpoint of the third brand from the bottom, seeming as is that the fireball had been in the middle. Then I should hit...'_

Sasuke squinted and took position. The tree from his location was about fourty-five meters, a medium task. He though,_ 'Bukijutsu...'_

He shot the kunai diagonally from where he was at, hitting exactly to where the the tree was. It exploded.

Sasuke ran to the area and didn't see any signs of silver anywhere. "Where the h-"

"Looking for me?", Kakashi answered.

Sasuke attacked him. Kakashi smirked when this reminded him of the bell test. Kakashi then said,"Let's say that I have two bells. You only have to take one from me, and a great prize will come your way for sure.", Kakashi showed Sasuke the bells.

Sasuke saw them glisten from the afternoon sun. Kakashi said,"Ready, begin."

Sasuke swiped a kunai at Kakashi's torso, in which was actually a shadow clone. He gritted teeth, but gave heed when a whishing sound was heard. Kakashi had his tanto ready.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. Kakashi said,"Attack for the kill; that the answer to your success in this little test."

Sasuke swiped again, only for his kunai to be blocked by Kakashi's tanto. The tanto then swiped down, causing Sasuke's barrier of skin to break, causing blood to flow down his arms. He held his arm tightly with his other hand, whilst hold the kunai. He sounded a battle cry, charging towards Kakashi with all his might. Kakashi dodged his offenses with ease.

Another fireball was headed exclusively towards Sasuke. He widened his eyes as he then took refuge in a nearby bush. He skittered out of the field whee Kakashi was, because now, he needed his teammates.

* * *

Kakashi smiled when Sasuke finally noticed the importance of teamwork. He walked slowly, purposely for the sake of the team, to go and see what his team was up to.

Sasuke had finally found his two other teammates. Naruto was pacing about next to Sakura, thinking of a plan. Sakura saw Sasuke,"Sasuke-kun! You're alive!", she shrieked.

Sasuke ignored her by say,"We need to work together."

Naruto and Sakura looked at him weirdly. Naruto then commented,"No offence- I mean, offence Sasuke, you're a power hog."

Sasuke had a tick mark on the side of his forehead. Sasuke ignored her and said,"Remember when we had our teamwork exercize during the Bukijutsu lesson? Well, I think we need to do the same today, because I can't hold off one jounin...by myself.", he said the last past lower than usual.

Naruto sprained a brow. Sakura said,"Oh, a Sasuke-kun! Shy, aren't we?"

Sasuke gritted his jaw and walked out. Naruto held him back,"W-wait! Do you really mean it, Teme?"

Sasuke glared at her but nodded.

She smiled at him and said,"We need a plan!"

* * *

Naruto ran from tree to tree, trying hard not to be seen. She waved her hand to signal both Sakura and Sasuke to come out of hiding and come to her area. Naruto made the signs of ten Kage Bunshin, to scatter all over the place to find Kakashi.

One finally came to her and told her that Kakashi was behind a bush, eastward from where they were standing. Sakura bit her lip when she readied the explosive kunai. As she handed it to Sasuke, who was the best at aiming, who had aimed and successfully shot it to where Kakashi was hiding.

Kakashi cursed and rolled out of the bush. He secretly created two shadow clones to scatter. He walked towards them, then Sasuke jumped in front of him,**"Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!"**

Kakashi did quick hand seals,**"Suiton: Suijinheki!"**, a water wall appeared around him, causing the fireball that hit it, to steam.

Naruto got out and did a Taijutsu stance in front of Kakashi. She made five four other clones who were ready in same exact pose. They ran a circle surrounding him, Kakashi analyzed,_'Must be the __**Uzumaki, Naruto Rendan. **__Firstly left...', _

"U-", He caught Naruto's left leg and swung her to the goring, making her poof out in existence.

_'Next, bottom-', _

"ZU-",he kicked the clone downwards to the floor.

_'Right-'_

"MA-", he twisted away from the impact, then slashed the clone with a kunai.

_'Left again-'_

"KI!", the clone thrown off course again.

_'And lastly, behind.'_

"NARUTO!", the last drop kick that Naruto sent was grabbed on to by Kakashi, who threw her to the lake, for a more cushioned landing.

Sakura ran towards Kakashi in a fast threw a punch, but was softly landed on her back, to which Kakashi took the advantage to run towards Sasuke.

Sakura widened her emerald eyes,"Sasuke-kun!"

Naruto ran out from the water to go to the site. Sasuke and Sakura were on to a corner with two Kakashi shadow clones headed towards them. She ran quickly, and was in the destination. "Guys! Are you okay?"

They nodded their heads.

Naruto was about to say something, but was interrupted by the Kakashi clones saying, **"Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!"**, the other said,**"Fūton: Daitoppa!"**

Sasuke knew what was coming next, so he shoved both Sakura and Naruto behind him.

Naruto and Sakura both screamed,"Sasuke!"

A blue fire bullet raced fast towards them. The blue light grew bigger and bigger, causing a flash of light to show. A figure then stepped in from of the trio and shouted out,**"Suiton: Suijinheki!"**

The same water wall appeared, completely steaming out the blue fire. All three genin were shaking in the thought of finally knowing what the saying,_'Your life flashing before your eyes' _really meant.

Sasuke was the most frightened because he had first row tickets to seeing and feeling the heat of the winged enhanced fireball. He looked at Kakashi with vibrant eyes, as the rest of the genin copied.

Kakashi scratched the back of his head sheepishly and told them,"Well, at lest you guys get the bell now.", he handed Sasuke both the bells.

Sasuke looked confusedly at Kakashi and asked,"Why'd you give me both the bells, Kalashi-sensei?"

"I have them both to you because you have earned your prize. Look..."

Kakashi positioned his tanto in front of Sasuke's face, who of which widened his yes considerably.

"My-my_ sharingan_? Ka-Kakashi-sensei, you?"

Kakashi nodded. Sasuke continued,"Thank you very much.", he mumbled.

Kakashi smiled sincerely behind his mask. Naruto felt a hilt of compassion in her heart, steadying her pulse; she also smiled.

Sakura smiled also, not for Sasuke's achievement, but for Sasuke's well-being and happiness. She decided that she honestly really liked this side of Sasuke.

"Come on guys, let's go eat dinner. You know how Tsunami-san does not like us late out, even though we are trained shinobi.", Kakashi suggested.

The whole team smiled when they came back to the house, as for the first time, Team 7 actually felt like a real family.

**(A/N: Thank you choosing your time to read this chapter, I don't know what I would do without you guys. And please review, favorite, and/or follow.)**


	5. Chapter 5

**(A/N: Okay, sorry guys, I suck butt- but, at least I got this story updated. It's like two weeks late, so I made this chapter twice as long as a normal chapter. Sorry for some grammatical and punctuational errors- I don't have a Beta. Enjoy!)**

"Thank you for the food, Tsunami-san!", Naruto said politely. She saw Inari go inside the kitchen with a fast pace.

She sighed as she thought about Inari,_'Humph, I shouldn't even be worried bout that dummy-sissy. He doesn't even take consideration to other people, but himself. But...I can kinda see that he has had a tough life. I mean he did just see his had die right in front of him, I would probably be traumatized too-'_

Naruto was cut off by her thoughts when someone shouted out,"I'm so sorry, Nee-chan!"

Naruto narrowed her eyes then widened them. "Wait, is that you, Inari?"

"I'm so sorry, Nee-chan! I should've thought about other people's feelings and not about myself. I didn't know about your life story."

"Huh? Who told you that?"

"Kakashi-sensei did."

**Flashback**

_Kakashi headed out to go find Inari, who was sitting on the pier. He sat next to him, as both of them were now looking at the glowing moon. Inari had a tear stricken face as Kakashi asked him,'Did you know that Naruto had a very tough life while growing up?'_

_Inari looked doubtfully at Kakashi,'What are you talking about? She's always so happy-go-lucky all the time.'_

_'Looks can be deceiving. However, inside, Naruto is scarred she never had a normal childhood. She didn't have her parents long to remember because they had died on her birth. And to make things worse, she had been a shunned orphan who is the village pariah, in which no one had sought the time to adopt her. She had always been parentless child since day one. However, she kept her head high, determined to be noticed and needed for once. She had always been like that, since as long as I can remember.'_

_Kakashi continued to spread salt on Inari's wounds,'As of now, you shouldn't take you're family for granted. You still have your mother who loves and cherishes you, you have your grandpa who is courageous to make this country a better place for you to live in. I'm guessing that your father gave his life freely the same way your grandpa would have too. I can tell that you grandfather loves you very much.'_

_Kakashi then left back to the house to leave Inari to reflect on his thoughts._

**End Flashback**

Naruto knitted her eyebrows as she thought about what Kakashi had said about her. She sulked her head down as Inari still watched her. "Are you okay, Nee-san?"

"Umm, yes, I am. I just need to cool off my head."

* * *

_After Sunset_

Naruto laid herself, by her back, in the meadow where she and Haku first met. She sighed for the fiftieth time thinking about what Inari just said,_'Kakashi-sensei knew- well, everyone knew- but he told bout my life to someone to compare it to. What does it mean? Does it mean that I'm just a sympathy orphan who is only for show, to show that someone mockingly cares about me for me?- or does it really mean that Kakashi-sensei really does care for who I am, as an equal- a student, just like how Iruka-sensei did?'_

See here that in Naruto's perspective, she could, and always will be, be uneasy towards ones compassion. Of course, this was a result of her childhood.

* * *

_In Tazuna's Home_

Kakashi was out of the shower and letting Sasuke in. Sasuke narrowed his eyes when Kakashi's mask and Hitite-ate was still on. Kakashi stared at Sasuke, who in turn analyzed Kakashi's face with a glare. Kakashi just shrugged his shoulders and walked out into the bedroom. Sasuke glared a hole into Kakashi's back.

When Kakashi was changed, he went out with his night clothed, and into the kitchen to get some water. His silver hair dipped downwards to his face more than usual, and his bangs were on his forehead, just like when he was still a genin. He ruffled his silver locks and wondered confused when there weren't any high pitched shrieks or screams- or any Narutoish noise being heard anywhere.

Kakashi groaned,_'Naruto, where could you have gone?'_, he slumped into a nearby couch, where he unnoticeably sat next to Inari.

Inari fidgeted around, not knowing what to do or try to say. He frowned when he sought out the help he needed to go ask Kakashi for. He came out and said,"Umm, Kakashi-sensei?"

Kakashi raised a brow,_'Who the heck said that?'_

Kakashi looked around and felt someone patting on his shoulder. Kakashi turned around and saw Inari. Kakashi answered,"_Ahem_...yes?"

Inari's frown drew larger. He asked,"I don't know where Naruto is at."

Kakashi closed his eyes tightly._ 'Of course, that's why it's so quiet here.'_, he then questioned,"Do you have any clue where she is at, Inari-kun?"

Inari shook his head negatively. Kakashi sighed with his neck crooked. Inari added,"She left when I apologized to her."

Kakashi sighed a second time,_'Mentality problems...'_, he then said a quick thanks, and set out to find Naruto.

* * *

The stars shown brightly as Naruto slept on her back. She twitched to the right, crushing a small sized flower. The slight dew, caused by the light fog surrounding Wave, made small water spots to appear on Naruto's back. The peacefulness surrounding Naruto was so serene, that Wave didn't at all seem to have any problems with it.

Naruto shivered as a gust of wind approached her way. She clutched onto her jacket, whilst still in a deep sleep. A snore lifted from her mouth.

Kakashi was set out into the woods, thinking,_'If I remember correctly, the last time Naruto went out because of Inari was when she was in the same meadow with Haku in it too.'_

He shrugged off the leafs and tree branches in his way. The smell of nature tore through Kakashi's nose. He narrowed his eyes slightly when he saw a small orange figure. _'Naruto...'_

A stinging pain appeared from Kakashi's leg,_'Stupid civilian clothes.'_, he mocked.

When Kakashi got closer to the meadow, it seemed so nostalgic:

**Flashback**

_'Look, look! Kaka-sensei, look!', a 16-year-old Naruto screamed. Kakashi turned his head to where his name was voiced. He smiled when he saw Naruto and went to the area she was in._

_'It's a flower meadow! Can't believe it! Probably one of the last since the war started.', she sighed sadly._

_Kakashi hated it when Naruto was 'stuck in the past', because it made her sad. Over the many months spent together as the offensive side in the war, and in same teams, Naruto and Kakashi were bound to get closer- but not enough, in Kakashi's case. At the same time, Kakashi was happy for what he has, but for another side, he wants more. But, of course, Naruto deserved someone better, not her rusty, 30-year-old, and especially- sensei._

_Infatuation was never easy when the person you love was so close, but at the same time, so far away._

_He rubbed both of his eyes, in which his sole eye had visible dark bags. Kakashi ran over to where Naruto was at, in all, ignoring the aching pain in both of his legs. He sat next to where Naruto was at and sighed. It was very rare to see sights as beautiful as this one during the war._

_Naruto laid her head on Kakashi shoulder, which he took great comfort in, and also sighed in serenity._

_Naruto narrowed her eyes for a second, and said,'Tired, aren't ya, Kakashi-sensei?'_

_Kakashi nodded._

_Naruto continued,'Me too. I just wish that this war is gonna be over soon. I mean, the food and medical rations aren't enough anymore. It's gonna be limited for everyone until the next shipment comes in. I can't stand to see the poverty in the other lands the shinobi and Akatsuki army trampled on because of this war. I can't also stand to see the war orphans either.'_

_Kakashi moved his hand so that it slightly caressed on Naruto's tamed golden mane. He soothed,'I also can't stand to see it, but that's what happens during a war. I've been on two already, but it's still so uncomfortable in sight to see the happening and outcome of the war. Of course, after this war is own, many hardships will come such as more poverty, raised taxes, reconstruction, and so on. Sometimes, war gets even more aggressive, that's when the people fighting in and out of the war stoop down so low, as to where they start killing off women and children, young and old- who have nothing to do with this war- mercilessly. But I assure you, everything will be alright.', he said comfortably._

_Naruto knitted her eyebrows together and said,'That's just what I needed, Kakashi-sensei.', she smiled with a slight blush. Kakashi smiled back at her, with his blush covered by his mask._

_'You wanna eat now? You can have my share of rations if you want.', Kakashi said generously._

_Naruto playfully punched him on the arm,'Of course you need to also eat, Kakashi-sensei. You didn't eat for two days!', she scolded with a fox-like grin._

_Kakashi retorted,'You didn't either.'_

_Naruto smiled again,'Come on, let's just eat our own shares. We only have fifteen more minuets until we are called back for battle. So you better eat, Kakashi-sensei. Or else-', She said the last part threateningly._

_Kakashi smiled through his mask and walked to the lunch area to pick up their lunch._

**End Flashback**

Naruto snored loudly throughout the meadow, making an echo. Kakashi shook his head,"Even in public.."

He gently carried her, bridal style, and swiftly, but soothingly sprinted back to Tazuna's home. When he jumped up through Naruto's guest room, then into the room, he set her gently onto the bed.

"Sweet dreams, Naru.", Kakashi kissed the top of her head and cracked the door open slightly so that he could get through.

Naruto's snores stopped abruptly when Kakashi had just left. She sat up on the bed and smiled,_'He does care...'_

She smiled sincerely and went back to sleep.

* * *

The shone through the window and onto Naruto's face. Woken up now, she looked around her room and saw that it was trashed. She narrowed her eyes, but left the problem alone; she got ready.

Downstairs, Inari shifted in his seat. He thought how he would confront on apologizing to Naruto. When he saw her run down the stairs, she screamed out,"Wa-wait! What's the time?!"

Tsunami glanced at the clock and said,"10:00 AM, why?"

"Two hours!_ Two hours!_", and with that, Naruto ran out of the house.

Tsunami and Inari looked weirdly at Naruto, in which Tsunami yelled out to Naruto,"What about breakfast?!"

Naruto just waved her hand.

* * *

_Day 5_

Naruto panted breath, in and out, as she stopped abruptly and used her hands on her thighs to rest. The rest of Team 7 frowned as they saw the sight of Naruto. Sasuke confronted,"Hn, Dobe. Why are you so late?"

Naruto growled,"Shuddup Teme! That's your fault for not waking me up!"

Sakura said,"It _is_ your fault, Baka! You're a sleep-walker and heavy sleeper."

Kakashi cut in,"Believe us, Naru. You're a sleep-walker to the max- a violent one at that. When we tried to wake you up, you made harsh remarks and threw blows one after another. We were about to tie you to the bed."

Sasuke and Sakura nodded their heads, agreeably. Naruto frowned,"_Whatever! _Let's just train."

Kakashi sighed,"Okay, today we will learn how to use **Collaboration Techniques.**"

Sasuke and Naruto looked interested while Sakura smiled because she knew what Kakashi was getting at. Kakashi continued,"These collaboration techniques are techniques that support other techniques to make them more powerful. This act needs pre-existing techniques, in which acted upon a same time, will become a greater power as the techniques combine and become one."

Naruto raised her hand,"So does that mean that you can actually combine techniques?"

Kakashi answered,"Of course. In this collaboration technique that I will teach you, it will need both ninjutsu and shurikenjutsu. It's called **Blazing Shuriken Dance**. One person will throw shuriken at the offender or opponent while the other does a Katon Jutsu to enflame the shuriken, making the shuriken ten times more offensive."

Sakura raised her hand this time,"Wait, this collaboration jutsu only needs two people, but isn't this a teamwork project?"

"Correct and correct. Actually, I'm going to pull you out, Sakura.", Kakashi said.

Sakura frowned,_'Because I'm the weak link of this team...'_

Kakashi knew what she was thinking and told her to hold stead while he made a shadow clone. Naruto raised a brow and opened her mouth. Kakashi interrupted,"I also know the **Shadow Clone Technique **too, Naru.", Naruto closed her mouth.

* * *

The clone led Naruto and Sasuke to the plain area while the real Kakashi led Sakura to the lake area. Sakura frowned and asked,"Why do we need to separate from the rest?"

"Because I'm going to teach you your technique early. Which will you choose? A jutsu I recommend or a jutsu that you choose?", Kakashi said.

"Whoa! This early?", she fidgeted and thought,_'Hmmmm, I don't really know what jutsu I should learn...maybe?- no, I don't wanna.'_

_**'Hurry up and choose already!'**_, Inner-Sakura said.

_'Shuddup! You know what?! I'll just get the stupid recommendation.'_, Sakura said.

From the outside, Sakura said,"Ummm, sure, I'll get the recommendation."

"Great! I think you should be taught the basics of Medic Ninjutsu."

Sakura raised a brow,"Medic Ninjutsu? Ninja who specialize in medical treatment and use of medical-oriented techniques to heal others. Me?", she recited equivalent to a book she read.

Kakashi stated,"You don't sound so confident in yourself, Sakura."

Sakura sulked her head. "Wasn't that why you called me here- because I'm the weakest link?", she revealed her inner depression.

Kakashi smiled and said,"Of course not! You can become the strongest link if you do so in being a medic-nin. I chose you to be the medic-nin in this team because of your excellent chakra control. And did you know, it's pretty rare for an in-built team to have a medic-nin in it. So to sum it up, if you would be Teams 7's official medic-nin, you would be our teams base, in which being the strongest, keeping us all together."

Sakura smiled heartfelt and blushed bashfully at Kakashi's long compliment. She turned to him in a more confident aura and said,"I will accept your recommendation, Kakashi-sensei!", she said sharply.

Kakashi smiled back at the now confident Sakura,"Then let's get started."

_With Naruto and Sasuke_

"What're we gonna do, Kakashi-sensei?!", Naruto exclaimed and questioned to Kakashi loudly.

Kakashi said,"We are going to start on our collaboration jutsu."

"Then why'd Sakura-chan go the other way with your clone- or is it the other way around?", Naruto questioned.

"I'm the clone, but Sakura is training individually for something special.", Kakashi informed.

Sasuke frowned, thinking,'I should be the one he should be training the Sharingan on.', a small part of him thought, even though he was exceedingly thankful for what Kakashi did for him.

Naruto asked,"So how're we gonna do this?"

Kakashi answered,"Let me make a Shadow Clone first.**Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!**", Kakashi said; a clone proofed in existence.

Naruto said,"Wait, clones could make other clones?"

Kakashi eye smiled,"Yup, but the clones that we clones make are much more weaker, by half, in comparison. But, because the real Kakashi made one clone, me, that means our chakra is split in half. Now that I made one clone, this clone,", the Kakashi-clone pointed to the other Kakashi-clone,"has half of my chakra, making him have a fourth of the real Kakashi's chakra."

Naruto sunk that into her mind, informing it so that it will be of good use in the future. She and Sasuke nodded their heads once again as Kakashi stood in a strong stance to show his procedure. Both Kakashi-clones were ready, and in position. The first Kakashi-clone started to throw shuriken swiftly through the plain, dirt field he was in. The next one screamed out,**"Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu!"**, going towards the shuriken, enlightening them, enforcing the deadly projectiles even more deadly.

"It's actually a pretty easy collaboration technique to master.", Kakashi said. "Now, I want you, Sasuke, to show me your Katon skills."

Sasuke smirked cockily and shouted out,**"Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu!"**, a massive fireball erupted from Sasuke's enlarged mouth. It inflamed as large as a medium-sized home, which was quite impressive for a genin, and the humidity reached far from where Kakashi and Naruto was standing at.

Kakashi analyzed Sasuke's fireball,_'Impressive, especially for a genin. The height of the fireball is about...15 feet, width, about 11 feet, and length from the fireball's tail to its coma is about...19 feet.'_

Sasuke finally finished the jutsu, breathing more a little loudly than normal._ 'Hold time for the Fireball is about 13 seconds. If he will hold it for that same time, he will lose the same amount of chakra, meaning that his max capacity of doing this jutsu is approximately six to eight times...',_ Kakashi thought up again.

Naruto widened her eyes, cursing herself for being impressed. Kakashi eye-smiled and turned to Naruto,"Now, Naruto, I need you to take out any shuriken you have ant throw them at the tree as a target. Make sure to hit the tree only."

Naruto nodded and narrowed her eyes in concentration. She took out all of her shuriken, eight in all, and placed one in each of her finger crease lines. She threw then by cursing her arms inwards to her chest, then hurling them in an _"x"_ position, intercrossing them to perfectly aline each other, but at the same time, straight-wards. All shuriken hit the tree in a perfect line.

She smiled and smirked cockily towards Sasuke. Kakashi remembered reminiscently at both Sasuke's and Naruto's rivalry and love-hate relationship. Even though Sasuke left the village, a little part of Kakashi knew that Sasuke missed his and Naruto's relationship.

"Wow, great job, guys.", Kakashi said without an effort," We'll get started right away now. I have analyzed your skills and firstly, Sasuke, you can hold on your fireball for about 13 seconds. I can tell that it still gives you a chakra drain because, first and foremost, you're still a genin. However, you do have a large capacity of chakra in you, which a normal genin doesn't have. This led me to believe that the maximum times you can do this jutsu is about six to eight times without a break."

Kakashi finished his analysis on Sasuke, then said,"Now, Naruto.", Naruto perked up when her name was called,"From the time we first started on with you Bukijutsu skills, you have grown tremendously. Hitting the tree while lining up your shuriken is amazingly good for a genin. However, the only problem is the number of shuriken you have on you. Now, an average genin weapons pouch can hold up to eight shuriken, but we may need more in times of need. The answer to this is **Kage Shuriken no Jutsu.**"

"You mean I'll learn a new jutsu, Kakashi-sensei?!", Naruto questioned excitedly.

Kakashi answered,"Yup.", Naruto jumped up and down.

Sasuke heard 'new jutsu' and walked straight to where Kakashi and Naruto was at. Kakashi explained,"For this technique..."

_With Sakura_

"Let's start with basic medic jutsu, Sakura. Here, I have a scroll that contain two basicish medic ninjutsu. They are:** Healing Technique**, and **Mystical Palm Technique.** Honestly, I don't really know anything about medic ninjutsu, but, I do know the basics.", Kakashi said lazily while thinking about his training in ANBU.

Kakashi gave Sakura the scroll, to which she opened earnestly, and inside were the two techniques. For **Healing Technique**, it showed the basic way of how to learn it. She read out loud,"By gathering healing chakra to the palms of your hands and concentrating the chakra, a healing chakra sphere will then be used to move over the conflicted areas on a patient's body."

Sakura widened her eyes at the sheer simplicity of a jutsu can cause something, such as a person' s life, to be saved. She thought,_'Maybe this is my thing.' _Sakura read on.

Kakashi interrupted her reading,"Before you keep reading, the **Mystical Palm Technique** is an A-Rank ninjutsu. I put it there because I believed that you could do it, however, do not push through your limits. Kakashi thought about Rin when he saw Sakura,_'If Rin could do it when she was a genin, than Sakura can.'_

Sakura smiled gratefully to Kakashi. He then said,"But before you do anything else, let's go fishing."

Sakura raised a brow.

* * *

"Whoa! I did it!", Naruto said. Sasuke smirked at his achievement. Both made about thirty shuriken clones, in which is quite impressive for the first day of training. Kakashi-clone praised them.

Kakashi-clone said,"Now, let's go begin the **Collaboration Jutsu**. First, Sasuke do your **Great Fireball Technique**.", Sasuke did the quick hand signs for the jutsu. Kakashi ordered Naruto,"Now, Naruto, throw six shuriken and multiply them all by five!", Naruto did what she was told.

The targeted tree was aimed perfectly and was set on fire. Naruto grinned and Sasuke smiled genuinely. Kakashi whistled out,"Wow, not so shabby for the first time.", Kakashi nodded his head approvingly,"Now, let's do it again."

* * *

Team 7 was finally done with team training, and everyone was sore. Naruto groaned in pain when she trudged to walk to Tsunami's home, in which for Kakashi's attention. "Do you need help, Naru?", she looked at him, then walked in front of him and raised her hands up, wanting a lift. Kakashi sweat dropped and picked her up.

Sakura coughed and Kakashi turned to her. She coughed again and Kakashi sighed. Sakura, too, lifted her hands up. Now, Kakashi had two people to carry; Naruto on front and Sakura on his shoulders. Kakashi looked at Sasuke, who blushed very slightly, and grunted._ 'Him too?'_

Kakashi asked,"Do you want to be carried too, Sasuke?"

Sasuke turned his head and grunted again. Kakashi sighed gratefully, because if he had to also carry Sasuke, than that would be practically impossible by himself.

Kakashi shrugged his shoulders. Well, there will be other opportunities to get Sasuke to open up from his stoic shell.

* * *

"Wakey, wakey, Naru and Sakura!", Kakashi pull the blankets from the two girls' clutches. They fell off of their beds as a result. Naruto's eyes were red from her lack of sleep while Sakura was in Inner-Sakura mode. "Uh oh...", Kakashi said when he knew he was in big trouble. He remembered another time when he woke up the two girls the same way; long-story-short, Kakashi couldn't go to the bathroom without painkillers for a whole month.

He shuttered at the thought. Even though Naruto and Sakura were still twelve-going-on-thirteen-year-olds, you never know. He knew he had five seconds to run when he saw Naruto's right hand shoot up with all five fingers up and ready to count down,"Ummm, I better...leave. See ya, bye.", Kakashi ran out of the door in record time.

"The nerve of that man!", Sakura screamed.

"Just wait, Kakashi-sensei. Watch your back until you see it coming.", Naruto said while half asleep.

Kakashi heard all of this from the outside crack of the door. "I-I think I'll take your advice, Naru.", he whispered to himself.

_Thirty minuets later_

"Good mornin' everyone- dattebayo!", Naruto shouted out happily when she saw the food that centered on the dining table.

Kakashi sighed tiredly and thought,_'This girl...only thirty minuets ago, she was spouting out threats to her own sensei. Ugh- must be that time of the month.'_

Sakura was thinking equivalently,_'How can she be a morning person when she was just threatening Sensei?'_

Sasuke just stared blankly at the food laid out for him.

Tsunami clapped her hands together, aiming to change the tired mood. "Everyone, let's eat!"

Everyone agreed,"Itadakimasu!"

* * *

_Day 6_

**"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"**, Kakashi shouted out. Two extra Kakashi-clones appears, now, making three Kakashis all together. The students of the team frowned curiously at the Kakashis, who just smiled towards them. Kakashi started to explain,"Today, you will all have 'separate' teachers."

"By having this opportunity, I can equally manage you guys. So for Sasuke, go with me-me, Naruto is with the clone to my right, and Sakura will be the clone to the left. Today will be a new type of training- oh, and be sure to keep your weights on. Remember, you guys only have two days left for the reward."

Al students looked confident,_'I gotta get out of those stupid so-called D-Raked missions.'_

They nodded enthusiastically. Naruto looked at her weights and they were yellow. Kakashi saw their weights also and said,"Sasuke, yours are already a light green- this must mean you're at thirty-five pounds. Sakura, yours are at the shy of green- you must be about twenty-five pounds. Naruto, yours are solidly green- you should be right on thirty pounds."

Naruto looked at hers and Sasuke's, comparing them. She growled when Sasuke's were more heavier. Sasuke smirked when he saw her reaction.

"Okay! Let's go everyone!", all three Kakashis said identically. Everyone went their separate ways.

_With Sasuke_

Kakashi and Sasuke walked into a clearing. Sasuke asked,"What are we going to do, Kakashi-sensei?"

Kakashi opened his eyes,"Today, I will be teaching you on how to learn how to use your Sharingan.", he waited for Sasuke's reaction.

"How will you do that when you don't have a Sharingan?", he questioned.

Kakashi lifted his Hitite-ate, clearly showing his scarred Sharingan eye. Sasuke widened his eyes considerably large. "How did you get your hands on Uchila property!?", Sasuke demanded for answers. Sasuke's blood ran cold at the thought of a foreigner of the Uchila having a Sharingan. Or maybe, even another survivor.

"Relax Sasuke, this Sharingan was not stolen, but exclusively given from a person I once held dear.", Kakashi thought bitterly."But that's a story for another time."

Sasuke still had a frown drawn on his face. Kakashi began,"Today, with your Sharingan, I'll teach you a jutsu.", Sasuke gave in. Kakashi held on to a serious face,"The jutsu I am about to teach you is called **Genjutsu: Sharingan.**"

Sasuke had a confused look on his face. "Teach me well."

Kakashi smirked,"To start, you will, of course, have to activate your Sharingan..."

_With Sakura_

"Remember, you can't succeed this medic training unless you get that fish to properly breathe.", Kakashi reminded Sakura.

"Yes!", Sakura said confidently. She focused her chakra into her hands, making sure that it reached the fish, because many times, when it didn't reach the fish properly, the jutsu, altogether, would collapse. Sweat drops stained and coated her face as the level of her concentration was focused solely on healing the freshwater fish.

The seal underneath the fish helped her to release her medic-chakra properly until she mastered how to unleash her medic-chakra by herself. Inner-Sakura cheered on,_'C'mon, Sakura! You can do it! Do it for Sasuke-kun!'_, and with that, Sakura was determined enough that she finally got the fish to breath again.

Sakura wiped off the sweat on her forehead and screamed out,"I did it! Beat that Ino-pig!", she then remembered that there was another person in the area. "Oh, ummm...", she scratched her head sheepishly.

"It's okay, it's not like Sasuke's here anyways.", Kakashi said. Sakura bellowed out her laughter, because for now, without judgement, she could act like herself.

_With Naruto_

"We'll have to work on your Taijutsu skills today, Naru.", Kakashi said.

"Wait, Kakashi-sensei, I have a question.", Naruto said while raising her hand frantically as if it were a full classroom.

"What's your question?", he replied.

"Why do you call me Naru?", she questioned.

Kakashi frowned, thinking of an excuse,"Well...because your name's too long."

"But all the others have the same amount of letters in their names too!"

"Yours has three syllables: Na-ru-to."

"Sa-ku-_RA!_"

"Do you want to train or not is what the question should be.", Kakashi countered. Naruto opened her mouth for a comeback, but she couldn't say anything. "Ha.", Kakashi mocked.

Naruto frowned and puffed her cheeks. Kakashi just eye-smiled and ruffled Naruto's hair. She hissed,"Don't make it even more wilder dattebayo! I didn't have any time to comb it this morning!"

He laughed at her face for a while, then said,"Whatever, let's get started."

She changed her attitude into a complete 180. Kakashi thought,_'Bipolar much.'_, he then said aloud,"To be honest, your Taijutsu needs to be, well...thought out more. By the way I've seen you fight anyone, I could tell that your method is run to them and then hit them as hard as you can. This method can be quite dangerous because you can leave a free opening easily."

Naruto focused on what Kakashi just said- she thought that what he said was quite true. "What can I do, Kakashi-sensei?"

He smiled behind his mask,"What you need to do is to do what I teach you properly."

She looked at him curiously. He smiled more largely now,"Today, you'll try to master **Clone Body Blow.**"

_Three hours later_

"You're already halfway though this training, Naru. Great job!", Kakashi motivated.

Naruto had a heartfelt look on her face,"Ka-Kakashi-sensei!", she ran towards him with open arms.

"Wa-wait, Naru- I'm still a clone!", his warning fell on deaf ears when Naruto jumped to hug him. _Poof!_

"Huh?" Naruto wondered out loud. "Kak-Kakashi-sensei?! Where'd ya go?- oh yeah!", she ran to the real Kakashi to make another clone.

* * *

"Today's analysis: Sasuke; awesome, you mastered Genjutsu: Sharingan in a matter of hours. Sakura; impressive, you mastered on healing the fish and is now moving quickly to Healing Technique. Naruto; outstanding, you mastered a Taijutsu stance and adapted to it quickly. Wow, guys, I knew I already had an awesome bunch of genins, but this? This is very good."

All the genins smiled or tried to hide their smiles. Either way, it felt warm for everyone, even though it was a bit chilly in Wave.

Naruto loudly put her arms to the crook of her neck and shouted out,"Well, I better get going."

Sasuke said,"Where are you going, Dobe?"

Naruto fumed,"Imma go somewhere! Teme!", she trudged heavily on to a clearing.

Kakashi sighed,"Are you going to train still, Naruto?"

"No, I'm going to go run.", she answered back.

Kakashi then looked to his students,"Same thing. Do you guys also want to run?"

Both Sasuke and Sakura wanted a chance to be the ones who get the team out of D-Ranked missions; they nodded. Kakashi sighed,"Fine, let's go train again- even though I'm hungry and tired.", he said, trying to make them feel guilty. The effect didn't work, and Kakashi was still feeling the chakra drain from making an extra clone because of Naruto.

"Whatever.", Kakashi trudged to where his students were at.

Sakura ran to the running field and saw Naruto and Sasuke running as if they were in a race. She thought,_'Sheesh, it's not like it's a race. But whatever, go Sasuke-kun!'_

Naruto and Sasuke breathed loudly as they struggled to pit their feet up from the ground. Both were at an even pace and were equal in color due to the unevenness of movement in their previous training.

"You're not gonna beat me, Teme!", Naruto called out to Sasuke.

"Shut up, Usuratonkachi.", Sasuke glared to Naruto. Their fading green color was starting to get more faded. Naruto smirked and picked up her feet in a more quicker pace. The fourty-five pounds both distributed on both her legs was pitting strain on her legs,_'Can't stop till I am at fifty pounds!'_

Kakashi yelled,"Okay guys, take a break!"

"But Kakashi-sensei! I'm almost finished!", Naruto protested.

"Do you really want to pull a muscle now?", Kakashi said.

Naruto pouted and struggled to where Kakashi was at. "Take a ten minuet break.", Kakashi ordered.

Sakura came to where Sasuke was at. "Ne, Sasuke-kun? From the color of your weights, does that mean you're almost done?"

"Hn."

Sakura blushed when she almost got a conversation going. She overheard what Kakashi and Naruto were talking about.

Kakashi said,"It's only ten minuets, Naru. It's not an eternity. Anyways, I don't want anyone of you guys to be hurt- especially during training."

Naruto sighed,"Thanks, Kakashi-sensei, but why're you training us now- I mean this whole week? You didn't train is before when we first had our missions."

"Well, we do have a lot of free time, and I want to prepare you guys for some upcoming battles in the future. You never know when you need it.", he replied.

"Yeah, I guess that could happen. But anyways, I really crave some ramen."

Kakashi sweatdropped with the sudden topic change; well, Naruto was, after all, Naruto.

"I guess that it about ten minuets already, you guys could run now.", Kakashi said. Naruto lit up and Sasuke and Sakura ran the the field. "That'll keep them busy for some time."

_Fifteen minuets later_

Sasuke and Naruto breathed heavily as the fifty pound mark was set. "Ha, Teme! I beat...your butt!"

Sasuke breathed in heavily though both his nose and mouth, too exhausted to snide back at Naruto, even though they equally finished at the same time. Sakura was still on the running field, getting tired as she was almost done with her running. She thought,_'I'm always the last one.'_

Naruto saw Sakura running alone, in which Naruto took her weights off and left them next to Sasuke. She ran to where Sakura was at while thinking,_'Wow! I feel so light!',_ when she got to where Sakura was at, Naruto asked,"Hey, Sakura-chan! Wanna run together?"

Sakura smiled at Naruto's kindness,"Sure, Naruto. And thanks.". Inside, Sakura thought,'_I wonder why I was always so mean to Naruto. I'll be more nicer in the future.'_

"No problem, Sakura-chan!", Naruto and Sakura both ran for about another ten minuets, which by then, Sakura was finished with her weights_._

* * *

_Day 7_

"Today, we will have a teamwork exercise. This will show how much you have improved with this weeks training.", Kakashi said. "I'll be your opponent, but I'll go easy on you guys- unlike last time."

Sasuke shuddered at the thought of Day 4's training. Kakashi continued to explain,"Be sure to use the techniques carefully and well thought of. This will also be a test to see who will be in best condition, meaning, who has used their chakra smartly and properly, who knows when it is best to use one or another jutsu, and so on. Got it?"

They all nodded. Kakashi ordered,"Begin!"

Naruto and Sasuke were both on each side of Sakura. Sakura understood their position when she remembered that a medic-nin should never get hurt during battle. Sasuke nodded to Naruto when a kunai was struck towards Sakura; Sasuke hit it out of its place. "Over there.", Naruto said as she threw five shuriken from where the offending kunai was deflected from.

Sasuke drew out a kunai out from his pouch and stood protectedly in front of Sakura when a set of eight shuriken were thrown back towards them. _'He moved?'_, Sasuke analyzed.

Sasuke read Naruto's moves when she threw six shuriken and shouted out,** Kage Shuriken no Just!"**

**"Katon: Gogakyu no Jutsu!"**, Sasuke and Naruto's Justus collaborated with each other and set the tree on fire, as a result. Sasuke thought,'_Not enough?'_

_'Over there!'_, Naruto alerted and somersaulted out of the a projectile's way. Sakura took out her kunai and go it into a defensive stance.

This battle went on for forty more minuets.

"Great teamwork, Team. To point things out specifically, Naruto and Sasuke, great job on protecting Sakura, who is your medic-nin. Sakura, I see that you have mastered** Healing Technique**. Although the blue medic sphere is a bit small, it did heal Naruto's and Sasuke's small wounds.", Kakashi said.

He continued,"Also, Naruto, you're are excelling on** Clone Body Blow. **You have also thought more into your attacks, making them more fatal.", Kakashi rubbed on his left arm where he got hit on by Naruto.

"Sasuke, you use your Sharingan smoothly and efficiently. You almost got me there in your Genjutsu.", Kakashi complimented. Kakashi then went to tomorrow's plans,"Tomorrow, we'll all accompany Tazuna to the largest pier in Wave. I cannot be for sure that everything will be just fine, but I have predicted that someone will try to harm the bridge's construction. Be sure to get ready for anything."

Naruto gulped noticeably. When the agenda was done, everyone in Team 7 went back to Tazuna's house to eat dinner.

* * *

_Inside the house_

After dinner was eaten, Kakashi asked Tazuna about an update for the company and Wave. Tazuna replied,"Times are much more tougher than before. I can't get out of my own house, walking in my own village, and work without me feeling that someone's gonna kill me. I just don't know what to do. The grocery prices are going up and there are more homeless people out on the streets than ever before. I'm just unsure about how my company's doing. Maybe I should just close down for business."

"Don't give up now, dattebayo! When you start something, that means you gotta finish it. Especially since the many promises you made to make this country prosperous again the many sacrificed, it's for sure that you can't backdown now!", Naruto screamed.

Tazuna ruffled her hair,"Thanks, Kiddo, and you're right. You're not that hard to deal with anymore."

Naruto smiled toothily.

Kakashi asked,"What exactly do you do in your company, Tazuna-san?"

Tazuna smiled proudly,"Here in wave, shipment is a crucial part in our daily lives. Because of our geography, which is the ocean, we can easily go by boat, which I also build, making us quite prosperous."

Tazuna continued,"Did you know, half of the male population in Wave works in the shipment company?", the somber moon lifted,"However, this number dwindled to about a fifth because of Gato's scammed monopoly.", he spat.

"It's okay, Old Man. Gato's butt will get it when I find him!", Naruto encouraged.

"Ya know what, Kiddo? You're starting to be less bratty than before.", Tazuna complimented.

"Is that supposed to be a compliment?", she questioned.

Kakashi cutted in again,"Say, Tazuna-san, I heard from last time that an assigned shinobi was supposed to be here for a mission. My question is, what for and what would have probably happen in the future?"

"To be honest, the shinobi was here to help me with a little project in mind. I was actually going to build a bridge from Wave to our surrounding countries. That shinobi was supposed to bring me documents on how to build a bridge. See, because, I am a professional builder of boats, I was confident that I could construct a bridge that would be noticed from all of the lands.", Tazuna confessed.

"Continue on.", Kakashi said.

"For the future, I'm not exactly sure what to say. But, if I did, I would probably hire a team from Konoha to protect me still, just like now. I also would've fronted that I was the most famous bridge builder from all of the lands. But I'm pretty sure that this is all false because it just seems fictional.", Tazuna laughed it off.

Kakashi laughed sarcastically with him,_'How ironic.'_

* * *

Naruto woke up with dark bags under her eyes. She looked around the room and cursed- they left her behind and the room was trashed again. She sighed loudly and got ready in the bathroom.

Getting her jumpsuit on, she heard Tsunami scream in terror from downstairs. Naruto quickly got changed and jumped down from the stairs. She hid behind a wall, analyzing the situation throughly. Tsunami was held captive by two samurai while Inari was broken into tears from under the table.

Inside, Inari replayed Naruto's words to him._'You little sissy! An idiot like you should just keep crying!' _There were also words of encouragement,_'Naruto's been alone all her life, she must already be tired of crying.' _Inari saw his mother's face, the strong and determined looks on Team 7's faces, his grandfather.

Inari made up his mind,"G-get away from my mommy!"

"Man, we should've killed this brat before.", the samurai unleashed their swords.

"Inari!", Tsunami cried out in terror as she saw the samurai swing their swords. She thought it was the end, but quickly erased it when Inari was replaced by a small, wooden stump.

Naruto narrowed her eyes and got into action. She quickly mad a shadow clone that went to attack the two captivates. While the clone was doing that, Naruto ran to where Inari was at to comfort him.

"I'm sorry, Nee-chan! I shouldn't have said that yesterday!", Inari cried.

Naruto spluttered, "Wh-what?"

"Remember I told you about your harsh childhood. I'm sorry I reopened some wounds.", Inari recited from a _'human emotions' _book he read, worried for Naruto's sake.

"I don't know half the stuff you're saying- but, I'll accept your apology anyways. Don't cry over spilt milk. Now's not the time to apologize."

Inari wiped his tears away with the bottom part of his shirt. He sniffled and got into a more confident stance. He helped his mother up from the offenders who snarled at him. Naruto's clone pummeled them easily, to which she tied them up tightly.

Naruto grinned to the pairs as she left her clone with Inari and Tsunami. She gave a thumbs-up to Inari and left to the bridge.

* * *

Sasuke's and Haku's kunai clashed with each other as they both charged for the win. Zabuza analyzed,_'This kid can keep up with Haku's speed rather effectively.'_

Haku spoke to Sasuke from behind his mask,"I don't want to have to kill you, but you won't give in, will you?"

Sasuke called back,"Not to anyone."

Haku narrowed his eyes,"I already have two advantages that will defeat you. First, there's water on the ground, and second, I have one of your arms occupied."

"What does that matter when you have one arm occupied by me?"

Haku smirked. His left hand was now reciting seals. Sasuke widened his eyes,_'One handed seals?!'_

_'That still impresses me.'_, Kakashi thought.

**"Flying Water Needles!"**, Haku shouted out. Water from the floor evaporated and merged to get her, making needles as sharp as senbon. They were sent to pierce Sasuke's skin.

_'Concentrate chakra to the legs.'_, Sasuke did so, and were sent flying up into the air, effectively avoiding the needles. He then threw shuriken down on Haku, who avoided them.

"You're pretty slow.", Haku said bluntly.

"You should eat your own words.", Sasuke said from behind Haku. Sasuke then back stabs Haku with a kunai in his hand, thoroughly spilling out Haku's blood from his wounds.

Zabuza was shocked,_'That kid beat Haku in speed.'_

Kakashi smiled pleasingly,"Don't underestimate my brats by calling them brats.", he said to Zabuza. "Sasuke's Konoha's #1 Rookie of the Year. Sakura is the most brightest in the village. And Naruto, who's not here yet, is the show off, hyperactive, #1 Loudest Ninja in the village."

_**'Got that right!'**_, Inner-Sakura shouted.

**"Special Jutsu: Demonic Ice Mirrors!"**, Haku shouted out. Sasuke looked around his surroundings- ice mirrors were set into a dome shape. Without a long pause, Haku finally composed his attack. Reflections of Haku were on every mirror. The reflections then started to jump from mirror to mirror with senbon on hand. Sasuke was left with gash marks on him.

Sasuke had never faced someone as strong as Haku- with the exception of Kakashi. He quickly activated his doujutsu while getting into a ready stance. Haku narrowed his eyes from inside the mirrors,_'So this is the Uchila orphan.'_ Haku then said aloud,"Uchila, huh. I'm guessing that you'll be a worthy opponent for me.

Zabuza, who was outside of the circumference of the Demonic Ice Mirrors overhead that Sasuke was an Uchila. He grinned foothill with his shark teeth,"He must be a worthy opponent for you, Haku. He has kept up with you for a long time."

"Of course, Zabuza-san.", Haku said politely.

Inside the ice mirrors, Sasuke thought of a way out. Just then, Naruto slides inside, whispering loudly,"I've come to save you, Teme."

Sasuke's eye twitched,"If your going to save me, then why didn't you do so outside the mirrors? You really are a dobe."

"_Teme!_ Shaddup! Now, how are we gonna get outta this mirror thingy?"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes, trying hard not to snide back,"Let's try our collaboration."

"Oh yeah, fire beats ice. Great thinking Teme.", she half-complimented.

Sasuke ignored her and got his hand signs ready. Naruto stepped back for more throwing space. Sasuke enlightened a fireball which Naruto threw forty shurikens through. She narrowed her eyes when nothing happened to the ice, except for a few scratch marks.

After a few seconds, the scratch marks disappeared, making the mirrors practically indestructible. Haku took this as an opening and jumped through the mirrors while aiming senbon at the two Konoha genin.

Naruto and Sasuke quickly took out kunai, trying to knock out the incoming senbon. At a point, the projectiles coming from Naruto's side stopped in which was now focused solely on Sasuke. A massive amount of senbon came from all of Sasuke's blind spots, which Naruto saw quickly.

She reacted just as quickly,"_Sasuke! _Watch out!"

Sasuke turned around, only to see Naruto in a bloody heap. The deep stab marks etched from throughout her body, keeping her immobile from moving whatsoever. Her neck was pierced in every direction, causing her to gurgle out some blood. Sasuke ran to Naruto, kneeling down to feel her pulse; there was none.

"I-I hated you- but I guess, my body just moved on its own."

He started to breath out loudly,_'I had my Sharingan active! If I were faster, Naruto wouldn't have di-'_, he refused to think negatively. The grief bottled up inside of him was too much,"Yo-you stupid Dobe! You even said my real name! You shouldn't have blocked them!"

* * *

Kakashi's heart felt a tremor. He latched a hand on top of his heart from feeling the pain, however, it wasn't working. Kakashi then dodged a water torrent, trying hard to ignore the pain.

He quickly summoned his dogs to restrain Zabuza.

* * *

"Not even fifteen minuets in this dome and she is already dead. Even though I only feel grief in my heart, this is all for Zabuza-san.", Haku said in monotone.

Sasuke's eyes literally saw red as his left eye now had three tomoes. He saw things more clearer than before because he now saw how each Jutsu and weaponry worked. he opened his eyes wider when he shouted out,**"Genjutsu: Sharingan!"**

He reflected his eye in the mirror, causing it to be reflected by every mirror, making the jutsu to not be unseen. Haku was hit, falling unconscious into a nightmarish world where he relived his past.

When Haku collapsed, the whole jutsu collapsed. Sasuke shielded Naruto's body when shards of ice fell from the dome's ceiling. For the first time in post-massacre life, Sasuke had felt vengeance for someone other than his brother.

Haku was going to get it.

Sasuke walked over to Haku's unconscious form, then carrying him roughly. He walked to where Kakashi and Zabuza were, then shouting out,"_I'll kill him._"

Sasuke then roughly three Haku onto the hard concrete floor, costing Haku some blood. Zabuza tried to restrain himself to kill Sasuke by saying,"I don't care, Kiddo. He was just a pawn anyways. I can always replace him."

"Suit yourself.", Sasuke bolted onto Haku, but stopped when a voice sounded.

"Zabuza, cornered, I see. Oh, and I see that your little apprentice is down too, what a pity. And I thought you guys said that your the best, and surely, the best should be able to beat everybody. I must be wrong.", Gato said sarcastically.

Zabuza narrowed his eyes,"What are you doing here with an army?"

"Oh, I'm just going to get rid of the best. If I had known that you were all talk, I would've just killed you sooner. It wasn't like I was going to pay you."

Gato walked over to Haku's unconscious form. He placed his foot on Haku's head,"Heh, he's dead- or I think he is."

Zabuza's hand gripped, which didn't go unnoticed to Kakashi. The dogs were summoned back, freeing Zabuza with bloody bite marks. Zabuza stood still, waiting for his last straw to be broken.

Gato took his cane and stabbed Haku's left arm. "_Ha! _Serves ya right! This is payback for breaking my left arm last time." Gato continued to whack Haku throughout his body, bruising and bloodying him.

Zabuza was enraged; he took a kunai from the floor and put it through in between His teeth. He swiftly ran to Gato, who was busy trying to kill Haku. By the time Gato saw Zabuza, he was killed in a blink of an eye. Gato's severed head rolled on the pier, having his eyes rolled back into his head.

"You killed our meal ticket!", Zabuza saw the paid thugs behind him. With the kunai in his mouth, he sped through the crowd, effectively killing a fifth of thee samurai. Before Zabuza should kill more, the thugs pierced Zabuza with spears through his arms and legs.

Before more harm was done, Kakashi took Zabuza out from his death. "Wh-why?", Zabuza asked.

Remembering what Naruto had said to Haku last time,_'Under different circumstances, we might've become friends'_, Kakashi then answered,"Because of a promise."

"What about the crowd?"

"Another one will come in another nine seconds to protect Wave."

"Fine then, Kakashi. Let me see Haku."

"Sure.", Kakashi laid Zabuza down next to Haku.

"If I would have known that you would've fallen down this way, I wouldn't have let you come here. You know, you were just like family to me- not some pawn. I'm-I'm sorry.", Zabuza grieved.

Haku smiled, coming out of his unconsciousness,"It's okay, Zabuza-san."

Zabuza widedned his eyes. "What are you doing up?! I thought you died!" Zabuza sat up quickly with an embarresed blush etched on his pale atone.

"I'm very happy that you care, Zabuza-san."

Zabuza ignored him as he laid back down. He removed the spears from his arms and legs,_'Nothing too fatal, but what about Haku?' _Zabuza glanced at Haku,_'He looks fine, except from the stab wound and bruises.'_

Kakashi looked at both of them,"Sakura and Tazuna, come here.", Kakashi told. Both obediently came."Sakura heal Zabuza first and then Haku."

"Bu-but."

"No time to hesitate, in due time, both can bleed to death. You can finally practice **Mystical Palm Technique **to real people other than fishes. Just close their wounds, it'll help them heal more naturally."

_'Darn, he caught me.' _Sakura agreed,"Thank you for this opportunity, Kakashi-sensei."

Haku and Zabuza were thinking along the same lines,_'Did he just call us lab rats?'_

In fifteen minuets, Sakura closed Zabuza's wounds. In five minuets, Sakura closed Haku's wounds. She then used **Healing Technique **on Haku's bruises.

"Thank you.", Haku said. Sakura nodded with an accepting smile. She heard a crowd cheer from the background. Sakura turned around, spotting Sasuke glaring at Haku. She shrugged her shoulders as it was normal behavior for him.

Inari came running to Sakura. He called out with a proud smile,"Where's Naruto-neechan?!"

Sakura wondered worriedly,_'Oh yeah, where is Naruto?' _She have a negative look to Inari who sighed disappointedly. Sakura asked Sasuke,"Do you know where Naruto is, Sasuke-kun?"

The little bit of emotion etched on Sasuke's face told Sakura everything- something bad has happened to Naruto. She didn't want to think of the worst until she saw the state Naruto's body was in.

"_Na-Naruto!_", Sakura ran with tears in her eyes as she quickly activated **Mystical Palm Technique. **Tazuna looked as guilty and grieved as Sasuke at the moment he saw the condition of Naruto's limp body. Her hands stopped glowing,"Darn it! No-no more chakra!"

Inari came running down,"Ne-nee-chan!" Inari bit his lip, trying to keep from crying. However, he ended up making his lip bleeding and his face sat indeed with tears and snot. _'I can't cry, I can't cry, I can't cry, Nee-chan, our promise- I can't cry!'_

Sasuke had never felt so guilty in his life, it was like every fiber of his body was being taken apart from head to toe. _'Is this the feeling of care?'_ Sasuke hadn't felt this feeling ever since the massacre. He shook his head, trying to take out the feeling,_'I don't need to include people in my ambition!'_

He turned away from the scene of remorse. Sasuke, too, bit his lip to keep from crying.

Kakashi strayed from Zabuza and Haku to look for his students. _'I hope they're okay.'_

His expectations didn't go as planned when he saw Naruto sprawled out onto the floor with senbon pierced throughout her body. His sole eye widened, his mouth was gaped, and his whole body was shaking. He started to hug himself while his teeth chattered- just as if he was cold. Kakashi suddenly collapsed.

**Flashback**

_Shikamaru called out from his microphone,'There seems to be a body here.'_

_Kakashi replied,'Roger, why don't you just leave it alone. It's normal.'_

_'No, it feels familiar, I'll go check it out.'_

_Kakashi turned down the volume a little bit from his microphone as it was a bit staticky. Shikamaru screamed,'Na-Naruto!'_

_'What!?', Kakashi demanded to know the area. When he got there, his heart sank as every fiber of his body was torn to shreds. Naruto was sprawls out on the floor with bruises and slash marks etched across her body._

_Kakashi ran to her and shoved everyone in his way. He touched her skin; it was cold and dull. His heart stopped beating for a second that seemed like an eternity- his mate is dead._

_His teeth chattered as he hugged Naruto to keep her from plunging to the cold. He tried to warm her up, almost as if she was going to revive. 'Why isn't Kurama healing her?! Why is she so cold?!'_

_Shikamaru shook his head, also trying to keep from crying,'You should know this than most of us, Kakashi.' He tried to separate Kakashi from the now dead Naruto._

_Kakashi shook as of he was cold because now, without his mate, he was just a lifeless being._

**End Flashback**

Naruto woke up in Tazuna's guest room with her face drenched in sweat. "What-what happened?!" Naruto was then pummeled with bodies hugging her.

Inari, Sakura, and Tusnami cried on her as if she died. Sakura spoke up first,"Y-ou stupid Baka! I thought you died!" Sakura cried on Naruto's shoulder.

Naruto smiled shyly,"Does that mean you're my friend, Sakura-chan?"

Sakura punched Naruto lightly,"I thought we were already friends?"

Naruto was shocked, but grinned toothily. Inari was up next,"Nee-chan!", he sniffled and wiped his face,"I-I promised you that I wouldn't cry!", he, too, cried on Naruto.

"Aww, it's okay Inari. At times like this, it's okay to cry.", Naruto comforted Inari by ruffling his hair.

Tsunami's turn was next,"Naruto-chan! I thought I wouldn't have a kitchen parter after you got hurt! You made me worried sick!", she cried on Naruto's other shoulder.

"Nuh-uh, you'll never have a kitchen partner like me. I'm the best of the best!", she replied cockily, aiming to lighten the mood. It worked when everyone wiped away their tears and smiled.

Tazuna smiled along,_'This little girl- she changed everyone's perspective of her in a matter days. She's the one who changed Inari into a better person. Now he calls me 'Grandpa'.'_

Sasuke walked over to Naruto, in which everyone stepped outside the room. "I'm-I'm sorry, Dobe.", he said a light blush.

Naruto said,"It's okay, Teme. I wanted to do that anyways. That's what friends are for."

She smiled at him genuinely. Sasuke hitched his breath for a minuet when am unnoticed blush resounded from his cheeks. Sasuke smiled just a little to Naruto,_'I'll let it go just for today.'_

Naruto then looked around the room,"Oh yeah, Teme, I was meaning to say this, but, where's Kakashi-sensei?"

Sasuke answered,"He said that he would go to a meadow or something to cool his mind. But, I can't say for sure."

"Oh, thanks, Teme! Cover for me, okay?", and with that, she jumped out of the window. Sasuke glared at where Naruto just left.

"That Usuratonkachi.", he said under his breath.

* * *

Naruto was in simple girl civilian clothes as she was running through the trees. A branch cut through her leg,_'Stupid civilian clothes.' _The wound healed almost instantly.

When she got to meadow, she found a silver head. Naruto creeped up on Kakashi as she jumped and laid down next to him. Kakashi didn't take notice of Naruto because he was watching the clouds intensely. She growled and pointed out,"Hmmmmm, that cloud kinda looks like ramen. Doesn't it, Kakashi-sensei?"

Kakashi turned quickly to where he heard Naruto's voice. He saw her smiling cheekily to him. He gaped, but soon after, a visible slow smile appeared on Kakashi's face. Naruto's heartbeat quickened at the smile.

That smile was just so genuine.

Kakashi felt her feeling emerge inside him, making him come to life again. A warmth filled his entire being, which he wanted to share so badly.

He captured Naruto into his arms and held her close to his beating heart, wanting her to notice that he loves so much. Naruto never got his feelings though her obliviousness, but she returned his hug.

Kakashi nuzzled her head as he smelled her natural scent. He held on tighter. Naruto realized their position and tried to get out of it. Kakashi just told her,"Please, just for right now, I need a real hug."

Naruto stopped struggling and asked Kakashi,"I didn't know you were the huggy type."

"I didn't know I was either."

Naruto blushed at what Kakashi just implied. Kakashi smiled and tugged her even closer,_'Just like old times- just without the kissing,'_

Both slowly drifted into sleep.

* * *

The noon sun was up by the time Kakashi and Naruto got back to Tazuna's house. Many thanked and greeted both of them for their defeating of Gato.

Ramen was coming off from the house, which didn't go unnoticed by Naruto. She bolted inside the house.

"What's for lun- whoa, what're you guys doing here?", Naruto questioned.

"We're the guests.", Zabuza said,"So this is Naruto. I bet you all my teeth that she's the one that jumps to conclusions and attacks without thinking."

Everyone in the room was thinking the same thing,_'Hit the hammer on the head.'_

"Hey, who're you callin dumb?!"

Zabuza fought back,"I don't have time for shorties."

"Well, I don't have time for eyebrow less freaks that have skinny legs!"

Zabuza twitched his eye,"They only look skinny because of these dumb bandages, got it kiddo?", he growled out.

"Shuddup, just because you can front about your legs doesn't mean you can front about your eyebrows dattebayo!"

"Haku, this kid's asking for it."

"Zabuza-san, please calm down before you break anything. Remember these are the people who saved us.", Haku soothed.

"Yeah, why's your Hitite-ate positioned like that anyways? Are ya trying to act cool, cause you aren't."

Zabuza wasn't taking it,"Haku, just this one time." Haku shook his head negatively. Zabuza was brought to sit down to restrain himself.

Naruto questioned,"Oh yeah, what are you doing here?", she pointed to Haku.

Haku smiled apologetically,"I was the Hunter-nin."

"You-! Wait, what? So all that stuff was a lie?"

"No! No. It wasn't."

"Then why're you with that guy?"

"Well, a long time ago..."

* * *

"I hear there a new Mizukage. I'm pretty sure that she will let you guys back in, espcially both of you guys because you,", Kakashi pointed at Zabuza,"are one of the Seven Swordsmen, and you,", Kakashi pointed to Haku,"have a kekkei genkai-** Hyoton**."

"The Mizukage also has a kekki genkai- **Corrosion Style**. So you guys are safe.", Kakashi concluded.

"Kakashi, thank you.", Zabuza said. Kakashi accepted. Haku also thanked him. "See ya around." And with that, Haku and Zabuza were gone.

"Bye Haku and Eyebrows!", Naruto called out to her new friends. They waved backwards.

Team 7 turned to Tazuna's family,"Well I guess this is goodbye, Tazuna-san, Tsunami-san, and Inari-kun.", Kakashi announced.

Naruto frowned, trying hard to look tough. Inari copied her stature, but big globs of tears ran down from his eyes. The team said their goodbyes and turned the other way. "Inari."

"Ye-yes, Nee-chan?"

"It's okay to cry at times like this, so you could let it out."

Inari protested,"No, I'm a big b-boy now. I don't need no te-tears to comfort me."

Naruto's crying face was exactly like Inari's. Sakura thought,_'Sheesh, these two are exactly alike.'_

Naruto said,"Bye, for now!"

"Goodbye!", Inari and his family shouted.

The crowd of people behind the family also said their last greetings,"Goodbye! See you later!"

* * *

_In Konoha_

Kakashi told his students,"Go on home now, I'll do the mission report."

The students thanked him. Kakashi walked into the Hokage's office without notice.

"Kakashi-kun, you're back. I see that you're not hurt, does that mean thepat the rest are the same.", the old Saurutobi complied.

"Practically, but can I first ask you a question, Lord Hokage?"

"Of course."

"For the mission-"

"Oh, yes, let me get you something first.", Hiruzen took out a C-Rank mission scroll.

"This is?", Kakashi questioned.

"You didn't complete the mission back then some months ago in Wave.", Hiruzen informed.

Kakashi had a confused look,"Mission...mission...mission! Oh my, I guess it was irrelevant in my knowledge to remember that mission that I completely forgot it. However, now, I know what happened to this timeline."

Hiruzen nodded,"Continue."

* * *

Tazuna got an idea for his company meeting that night,"Hey, guys! Why don't we build a bridge to expand our shipment company?"

The crowd agreed. Tazuna continued,"That's right! We can also dedicate it to Team 7! I can picture it! It'll be called The Great Naruto Bridge!"

"What about The Great Kakashi Bridge?"

"No, no, The Great Sasuke Bridge!"

"You've got it all wrong! The Great Sakura Bridge!"

The crowd roared. Tazuna quieted them,"Be quiet everyone! It's Naruto because she was the one who brought courage into Inari, who brought that courage onto you guys!"

And with that, the debate for Tazuna's bridge's name was on.

**(A/N: Thanks for reading guys! Please review, favorite, and/or follow.)**


	6. Chapter 6

**(A/N: Thank you all for the lovely reviews, favorites, and follows. You guys make my day. Enjoy!)**

"Man! I can't believe our week was over just like that!", Naruto whined as she walked throughout the market place with her team.

"Be quiet, Naruto-baka! You're making a scene!", Sakura shouted at Naruto.

Naruto ducked and told Sakura quietly,"Sakura-chan, I think it_ you _who's causing a scene." Sakura glared at Naruto, then looked around, finding out that Naruto was correct.

Kakashi sighed,_'It's only the first day of missions, and they're already like this.'_ Kakashi then took the backs of Naruto's and Sakura's shirts to set them apart. "Behave as your status - adults."

Naruto and Sakura sulked. Sakura apologized,"Sorry, Naruto."

Naruto smiled,"It's okay, Sakura-chan."

Sasuke looked around the market place and set his eyes on a particular katana. Even with the display of slight interest, Kakashi saw through Sasuke - he wanted the katana. Naruto chattered to Sakura about her favorite ramen flavors while Sakura shook her head, talking about the new medic-ninjutsu books in the library.

Kakashi stretched his spine, loving the way how Konoha was so lively that evening. He took out his orange book and sighed. Sakura and Naruto turned their heads to see the source of the tired sound, and found Kakashi. Instantly, Sakura narrowed her eyes at the sight of what was in Kakashi's right hand.

Naruto, on the other hand, didn't really care anymore about Kakashi's perverted habits. She actually thought it was amusing and unique about their sensei. And, in all honesty, Naruto was a tiny pervert - who wasn't?

"Kakashi-sensei? Why're you such a pervert?", Sakura asked him.

"Hmmm? Did you say something, Sakura?", Kakashi said nonchalantly. Sakura growled under her breath, trying hard not to snatch the book from his hand.

Naruto blushed for a moment, thinking about their last encounter in the meadow at Wave. Kakashi knew what Naruto was thinking about and winked at her. Naruto tried to fight the blush by connecting her hands to the back of her head. Kakashi snickered in the sidelines.

When they all reached the Hokage's office, they filled in their mission report.

"Mission Number 2023456289: D-Ranked mission to clean up the manure in Tatsume-san's farm left by the cows. Mission completed successfully.", Kakashi said lazily.

The Hokage had his hands clasped together, nodding his head satisfaction-filled. "Good job, Team 7. Your paycheck will be divided and delivered to you by the of this week. Dismissed except for Kakashi."

The team saluted. Naruto told Kakashi,"Haha, Sensei. You're gonna get in trouble.", she whispered loudly enough for everyone in the room to hear. Sakura slapped Naruto across the head.

"Oh, sorry, Sensei. You know Naruto, she's a bit weird in the head.", Sakura informed.

"Hey!", Naruto protested. Sakura quieted Naruto with her fist. Sasuke left first, then Naruto and Sakura. "Bye, Jiji!"

The old Sarutobi waved back to Naruto with a smile. Kakashi turned to his Hokage and asked,"What do you need, Sir?"

The Sandaime said,"Something bad is going to happen during the Chunin Exams, right?" He continued,"The letter that Tsunade-chan sent me, from the future, says so."

Kakashi nodded agreeably,"This is true, Hokage-sama."

"What exactly is going to happen?"

"Last time, during the Chunin Exams, there was a breaking of our alliance treaty with Suna. The worst is, is that Suna joined up with a new village, Oto, which is lead by Orochimaru.", Kakashi informed.

"I see where this is going."

Kakashi nodded his head,"The Jinchuuriki of Suna, the Kazekage's son, Gaara, is planned to attack our village in his bijuu's form - the Ichibi."

"Go on.", the Sandaime said with narrowed eyes.

"The Kazekage is actually murdered and made imposter by Orochimaru by, I think a during the first phase of the Chunin Exams. At this time, Orochimaru bites Sasuke, giving him the Curse Mark. This causes Sasuke to leave Konoha. And lastly, you die, Hokage-sama.", Kakashi hesitated when he gave the old Sarutobi's future.

Hiruzen stayed firm when hearing about his and Konoha's future. "Very well, Kakashi. You may go now, I'll need to think about this problem for now."

Kakashi then remembered something,"Hokage-sama, when will Jiraiya-sama come back to Konoha?"

The old Sarutobi was cut off from his thinking,"In two days, why?" Kakashi smiled behind his mask.

"Nothing, I'll tell you later on more information. Till then, Hokage-sama.", Kakashi saluted to his leader and hopped off the window.

The Sandaime looked at Kakashi's fading back,"I'll trust you on this one, Kakashi."

* * *

_Two days later_

During team practice, Kakashi told Naruto,"Ne, Naru, can you do an errand for me?"

Naruto raised a brow,"Me? Yeah, sure.", she said getting more excited.

"Okay, I need you to go to the hot springs near the big Sakura tree on Wakana st. Go the southern side, outside the hot spring, which would be directly outside the women's section. There, you will find a man with long, spiky, white hair with red tear stains painted on his face. I want you to bring him to me in this training ground. Got it?"

"When can I start?"

"Now actually. Have a safe trip! And don't get caught with any perverts, okay?", Kakashi said jokingly while thinking about another certain pervert.

"Don't worry, Kakashi-sensei! You're the only pervert I know!", she said waving her hand as her back was getting smaller and smaller as the horizon closed in. Kakashi smiled and waved back.

Naruto was trudging all around the hot springs, trying to find the white haired, whatever, guy. After a long time a searching near the women's section, Naruto almost lost all hope until giggling came from the bushes. Narrowing her eyes, she slowly walked towards the bushes.

Narrowing her eyes even further, Naruto saw that the man had spiky, long, white hair. What narrowed her eyes even farther was what the person was doing - peeping.

"Oh no, you're not getting away with this,_ you pervert!_", she screamed out loudly enough for the women inside to hear. In record time, there were _dressed _women outside to give a beating to the pervert who peeped.

Quickly, in a fast motion, Jiraiya turned to see Naruto and the angry mob of women. Naruto confirmed he was the person that Kakashi wanted because he had the blood tears painted on his face. _'And he's old too.'_, Naruto thought disgustedly. She pointed to him in front of the women, who then beat him.

After thirty minuets, the women stopped beating Jiraiya and walked back to the warm springs. He looked incredulously at Naruto,"You, little girl, just who do you think I am?", he said, picking himself up.

"An old, perverted, loner that finds pleasure in peeping at women that are at least ten time younger than you. Man, I can't believe that Kakashi-sensei told me to get you. And, by the way, my name is Uzumaki Naruto, the next Hokage of Konoha!", she said proudly.

Jiraiya looked at her weirdly, but inside, he thought,_'So this is Minato's orphaned daughter - my goddaughter.'_ Jiraiya told her,"Kakashi? Why would he need me?"

"I dunno, but I guess I could say you guys are alike - you guys are both perverts.", Naruto said.

"Hey, I'm not a pervert! I'm a _Super Pervert!_", Naruto's jaw dropped as he continued on his speech,"Also, what's wrong with Konoha's history textbooks! I'm the great Toad Sage of the Densetsu No Sannin - one of The Legendary Three! If you don't know me, then that means you're lost, little girl! Hahahaha!", he laughed cockily.

Naruto growled,"If you're so famous, then why're girls beating your butt?!"

Jiraiya just narrowed his eyes at her because he had no comeback for that. "Fine, whaddya want, Gaki?"

"I need you to come with me, Kakashi-sensei said to get you."

"Kakashi? Why would he need me? If it's for an autograph, then, hmm, that's another story.", he said with a smile.

"What do you mean 'autograph'?", Naruto said curiously.

"For my famous book, _Icha Icha Paradise SAGA!_", he said proudly.

"You mean to tell me that your the one who makes those stupid perverted books that Kaka-sensei reads?", she said menacingly.

Jiraiya nodded his head cockily. Naruto gave up, seeing that this man was even more openly perverted than Kakashi. "Hump! You're just an Ero-sennin!", she started to laugh hysterically.

Jiraiya narrowed his eyes shockingly towards the tiny blond girl,_'She just called me Ero-sennin!'_, he thought offendedly,"Hey, don't call me that, Gaki!"

"Ha, too late, _Ero-sennin!_", she laughed at him all the way towards their destination.

* * *

"Here's the Ero-sennin, Kakashi-sensei.", Naruto said with a huge grin intact onto her face. "Oh yeah, he another pervert."

Kakashi eyesmiled, noticing that Naruto had given Jiraiya his nick name since the beginning. "Hmm, this is him, alright. Good job, Naru-chan. I'll take it from here. For now, just stay here with the rest of your teammates until I get back, okay?"

Naruto nodded obediently.

Kakashi walked Jiraiya across Konoha. Jiraiya questioned,"Kakashi, are you just going to walk me across Konoha, or are you going to tell me something important?"

Kakashi sighed, putting his book down,"First, we need to got to the Hokage's office."

Jiraiya frowned, thinking about his old sensei. Nodding in approval, Jiraiya agreed to go to the Hokage's office. By the time both powerful shinobi's got the office, Hiruzen looked alerted towards Kakashi.

"Kakashi, Jiraiya? What are you two doing here?", he said.

"We're here to tell you something, well at least I am.", Kakashi said lazily,"Jiraiya-sama, if you wouldn't mind stepping out to the room for a quick minuet?"

Hiruzen frowned when Jiraiya obeyed. When it was just the two if them, Kakashi quickly made a privacy barrier around the perimeter of the Hokage's office and from the ceiling where the ANBU guards were at. Hiruzen questioned,"What is it, Kakashi? And why did you also bring Jiraiya to this problem?"

"Last time, right after the chunin exams, we needed a new Hokage because we didn't have one. Firstly, Jiraiya was chosen as a candidate for Hokage, but he refused altogether because of his spying network. And then, we needed to choose another person to be our Hokage, and Tsunade-sama was chosen for that spot."

Hiruzen looked confused,"How did you get Tsunade to return to Konoha?"

Kakashi continued,"Naruto and Jiraiya went to different towns searching for her. If I remember correctly, Naruto and Tsunade-sama made a bet with each other, in which Tsunade-sama lost. But in all honesty, Naruto was the key point to bringing Tsunade-sama back because she changed her."

The Sandaime nodded his head,"So what does Jiraiya have to do with this now? The chunin exams are in a month. Also, the chunin exams takes another month to complete, meaning that you get Tsunade-chan in two to three months. Right?"

"You are correct, Sandaime-sama, but I was thinking on getting her more earlier. Maybe before the chunin exams start. So, I was thinking that if this happened, maybe some things could be changed around."

Hiruzen folded his hands together and placed them under his chin,"Yes, but do you think this might work?"

"I can't say for certain, but it will help for sure. I was hoping, that through this plan, we could prevent your death and Sasuke defection.", Kakashi concluded before letting Jiraiya in. The Sandaime looked approvingly at both Kakashi and Jiraiya and frowned again, showing his wrinkles.

Hiruzen then locked his eyes with Jiraiya's,"Jiraiya, I need you to find Tsunade-chan and bring her back here in Konoha right before the chunin exams start."

This time Jiraiya frowned,"But she defected almost two decades ago. We have brought many of our ANBU troops to get her, even teams at a time, but all of them would come back injured. That's why we stopped her searches. How can we bring her back if the same results will come back?"

The old Sarutobi smiled,"People can change through other people. Also, please don't try to fail this mission. Even though she has monstrous strength, try to deal with her in a more non-violent way.", the Sandaime closed his eyes,"Also, I want you to bring someone with you for some minor reasons. Have you met the little angel named Naruto? Well, she's going to be with you on this trip."

"Wait, wait, wait. I'm fine with trying to find Tsunade back, but with that _angel_? She's not an angel, more like a little devil!", Jiraiya looked distressed,"If she go's with me, I won't have any time to peep! Just today, when I was peeping, she purposefully screamed out that I was peeping, making the women hear! They will all beat me up! And then that Gaki also made fun of me!", he pouted. "Anyways, why does she need to come?"

Kakashi and Hiruzen looked funnily to Jiraiya,"Jiraiya, you're a grown man, act like it.", Hiruzen said,"And you can't keep hiding and running away. She needs to come because Kakashi needs you to train her for a bit."

Jiraiya took on a more serious face, he shut his eyes tightly and sighed,"Okay then, Sensei. I'll try to deal with her. And anyways, I was just joking. That Gaki's just like her mother.", he finished with an amused smile.

Kakashi smiled behind his mask. The Hokage then said,"You can start in a week then."

* * *

_The next day_

"Kakashi-sensei? What are we gonna do today?", Sakura asked.

Kakashi placed his book down from his face,"Today, we don't have any missions. Actually, I'm going to teach Naru her chosen or recommended technique today. Sasuke, I'll teach yours soon after, okay?"

Sasuke nodded. Kakashi continued,"You guys can train by yourselves or get a free day."

Sasuke and Sakura nodded to him, both choosing to train on their own in their own private space.

Kakashi turned to Naruto, who asked,"Kaka-sensei? I think I'll take the suggestion."

Kakashi smiled,"That's a good thing actually. I'm not technically going to teach you a Jutsu, actually."

Naruto raised a brow at this. Kakashi continued,"I'm going to teach you how to control your chakra even more. So this means more chakra control exercises."

"Hah!? Whadya mean, Kakashi-sensei? Didn't we already do that stuff during the Wave? And you said that we all mastered it."

"Yes, but, compared to Sakura and Sasuke's chakra control, yours is abysmal. But it was enough to keep you alive.", he then though about what Naruto last said,"Did I say that? I guess I did at the time, but as I analyzed you more in your walking, there is something wrong. Anyways, mastering doesn't mean perfecting."

"Gee, thanks Kakashi-sensei.", Naruto said sarcastically. She then sighed in approval.

Kakashi just eyesmiled at her,"Let's go tree walking again."

Naruto pouted,"Man, you suck, Kaka-sensei. I should've picked my own Jutsu. Humph!"

"Yatta, yatta, Naru-chan. Let's go to the tallest tree in this forest."

Finding the most tallest tree in the forest had been an easy task for Naruto and Kakashi. After doing so, Naruto was told by Kakashi to climb it. Naruto walked up it gracefully, however, when coming down, she had been a bit wobbly.

"Redo it.", Kakashi said bluntly; the same results came. Kakashi sighed,"It's how you go down. You're still wobbly."

Naruto redid her exercise, giving in to the same results. Kakashi sighed, making Naruto feel bad,"So-sorry, Kakashi-sensei. I guess I should've been practicing from me break." She scratched the back of her head.

Kakashi smiled at her,"Hmm, it's okay, Naru-chan. That's why you're practicing right now.", he looked at her,"I suggest that you try to run downwards."

Naruto looked crazily at him,"Are you tryna kill me, Kaka-sensei!?"

"Hahaha! No, no, no. I'm helping you. Now try it.", Kakashi said while laughing amusedly.

"Fine, I better not die, then.", she said as she walked up the tree. When she reached the top branch, she gulped, thinking that today was the day she was going to die. "Umm, Kaka-sensei? What if I_ do_ die?"

Kakashi smiled largely,"I'll be here to catch you, Silly. Remember what I said in wave?", Kakashi held his arms up as a means of safety. Naruto gulped again. She ran downwards without a hitch in her steps. When she landed ungracefully, she was shaking in fear with a crooked white smile on her face.

"I-I did it - dattebayo!"

"See, you untrusting student.", Kakashi told Naruto. Naruto, on the other hand was celebrating loudly. After redoing it without running or mishaps, Naruto finally perfected her walking.

Kakashi coughed, finally getting her attention after her celebration."We do need to do your water walking exercise."

This time, Naruto didn't say any complaints as she walked wobbly to the lake next to a small green patch of grass. She scratched the back of her head when she reached the other side.

Kakashi sighed, causing Naruto to feel embarrassed. "This can't do. Redo it."

Naruto did it with no complaints. Kakashi sighed again in disapproval,"Try to balance your chakra from the soles of your feet." She did it successful five times in a row.

"See! I told you I could do it!", Naruto said proudly with her hands on her waist.

Kakashi just rolled his eyes as he read his book,"Redo it.", he said to annoy her. Naruto grumbled under her breath, causing Kakashi to snicker behind his book.

"Don't make fun of me, Kakashi-sensei!"

"I'm not. I'm just reading this naughty scene where Miko-chan and Ja-"

Kakashi was cut of when a blushing Naruto splashed water on him and his _precious book_. Kakashi's mouth quivered as he gaped it. Looking atop his soggy book, Naruto was rolling on the water and laughing._ 'This girl's gonna get it.'_, he stated in his mind.

He walked towards her, taking advantage of her distraction, and picked her up. Naruto stopped laughing and struggled to free herself from Kakashi's arms. "What are you gonna do, Kakashi-sensei?"

Kakashi had a mad glint in his eyes, which caused shivers in Naruto's spine. She gulped soundly while looking at Kakashi. He took her and placed her on the ground next to his smutty book.

Kakashi pointed at the book while looking at Naruto. Naruto smiled scared,"Ye-yes, Kakashi-sensei?", Naruto looked cautiously at him. "What? It was an accident. And you were the one making fun of me.", she frowned a little.

Kakashi smirked with an eyesmile,"Are you going to replace it?"

Naruto looked cautiously at Kakashi,"What do you mean by 'replace it?' ", she said.

"It has to be now or never, or else I'll not train you.", he blackmailed.

Naruto narrowed her eyes and repeated herself,"What do you mean by 'replace it?' "

"Go to the bookstore and but me another copy of Icha Icha, Naruto."

"Hah?! Who do you think I am?!"

"Okay, then bye.", he walked agonizingly slowly away, glancing back at Naruto while sighing,"Hmm, guess I can't show you that awesome technique I found - with the slight, oh so very slight, possibility of teaching it to one of my students."

Naruto widened her eyes for a second, trying to resist the urge to jump up on Kakashi. Biting her lip in denial, she finally called out,"Wa-Wait, Kakashi-sensei!"

Kakashi put his heel on his back and turned around fashionably. He smirked, and walked to where Naruto was sitting at. Bending down with an eyesmile intact on his face, Kakashi made Naruto look even more smaller than she already was. "Yes, Naru-chan?"

She resisted the urge even harder to growl lowly at him. "Umm, Kaka-sensei. Just because I'm one of your bestest students, I'll let this one go. Where is the book store?"

Kakashi's smirk grew bigger,"Uh-huh. And by the way, bestest isn't a word.", he said sarcastically. "Two blocks from the right from Iciraku."

This time, a growl escaped Naruto's lips as she thought about her paycheck. Guess now, she knows how Iruka feels when she freeloads on him. Kakashi also added,"Oh, and can you buy that solid black katana from the Okana merchant? you'll know which one once you see it.", he gave her money,"Pay that with this - and I'll know if you used it on the book."

Naruto's hands came up defensively,"Who do you think I am?!"

Kakashi shooed her away, then turning around to hug and cuddle his precious book_,'And this was the one Naru-chan gave me before.' _He then though with a smile,_'Whatever, she buying me one again in this timeline.'_, he started to laugh slowly.

Naruto glanced back at him, looking disgustedly and weirdly towards his sincerity for his book. As she walked to the bookstore, Naruto felt uneasy and embarrassed at what she was going to buy. Opening the door to the bookstore, she got the normal glare from the cashier.

Walking up to the adult section, Naruto blushed when she saw the titles of the book names. _'What is wrong with Kakashi-sensei?'_

Looking for the right book, she finally went to the cashier to pay for the book. "Umm, may I also get a thick bag for this book too?"

The cashier looked under his counter and saw the bags. "Girly, you don't need a bag for a quarter-pound book. Just don't looked embarrassed while you walk.", he laughed and kicked her out.

Naruto cursed at him and rubbed her butt,"That stupid, old fart. Just watch, old man, you're gonna be my next target."

Walking to the path, people were whispering while looking at Naruto and the book in her hand. Naruto blushed several times in embarrassment at the words that the townspeople chose to use.

Going to the market place, one by one, Naruto finally saw where the solid black katana was at. Knitting her eyebrows together in, she finally remembered that she had wanted to get the same exact one. Looking at the paper money in her pocket, she grabbed it, deciding upon to listen to her sensei.

Naruto bought the Katana and quickly going back to Kakashi to train.

* * *

Panting hard with a blush on her face, Naruto stood in front of Kakashi with the book and katana in hand. He eyesmiled at her while she glared hotly at him. Gritting her teeth, Naruto lashed out,"There!"

"Now, now, Naru-chan. No need to be temperamental to your own beloved sensei."

"What beloved sensei are you talkin about - dattebayo?!"

He grinned behind his mask,_'What a cutie.' _Kakashi grabbed the things on her hands and placed then on the tree was leaning on.

Naruto commented,"Why do you need the sword, Kakashi-sensei?" She handed him the extra money.

While Kakashi was counting the money while nodding,"Just because.", he said while brushing his hand through his silver hair.

Naruto blushed while saying,"Well, I kinda...", she stopped talking.

Kakashi raised a silver brow,"Yes?"

"I kinda wanted to buy it."

"You wanted to buy it? For what? Do you know kenjutsu?", Kakashi asked.

Naruto shook her head,"Naw, never mind."

Kakashi pried,"No, no, it's okay, just tell me. If I see it a good enough reason, then I'll give it."

Naruto widened her eyes, but stopped and shook her head. "It's okay, Kaka-sensei. If I really do need it, then I'll ask you later." Kakashi had a confused face, but stopped from asking her again. Naruto then smiled,"Let's get started then."

* * *

By the time Kakashi was done with Naruto's chakra training, he made sure to drill it into her head. Naruto collapsed panting by how many exercises they did. In all, they have done, the three basic chakra controlling exercises plus five other ones.

Kakashi sat down crisscrossed next to Naruto, who laid down in her back. He turned the new pages of his book and giggled occasionally. Naruto narrowed her eyes at Kakashi giggling form, thinking about how girly and perverted he sounded.

Scratching her butt, Naruto turned over and faced Kakashi, who in turn also turned to her. Kakashi waited for Naruto to talk,"Hey, Kaka-sensei? Don't ya think that Sasuke-teme's being a bit distant? I mean, he's practically built to be antisocial, but this time, it's different. I mean, he doesn't fight with me as much like...after the Wave mission - dattebayo."

Kakashi frowned upon her problem, instantly knowing her answer - Sasuke didn't want to be close with anyone who could destroy the reason for his ambition. Naruto continued,"That's why I wanted to buy that sword thingy. I saw Sasuke-teme looking at it, and instantly, I knew that he wanted it. Cause, you know, _his birthday's coming up._", she finished off while saying the last part softly.

Kakashi widened his eyes, knowing full well the extent of Sasuke and Naruto's friendship. He then said,"Silly, no need to be embarrassed about something as minor as caring about your friends. And by the way, I also had the same plan in mind."

It was Naruto's turn to widen her eyes,"You too, Kakashi-sensei?" The realization hit her hard - friendship.

Kakashi smiled and nodded while walking towards the katana and handing it to her. "I was also thinking about a birthday party for Sasuke, including all of Team 7.", he said.

Naruto smiled toothily, taking the katana in his hands,"I'll pay yo-"

"No need. I have too much money anyways.", he laughed while scratching the back of his head.

Naruto then asked Kakashi,"Ne, Kakashi-sensei? Weren't ya gonna show and tech me a Jutsu?"

"Nope, now let's go home.", he said while grabbing her and swing her on his shoulder, laughing mirthfully.

"Hey! Who do you think I am, a rag doll - dattebayo?!", she said for the third time that day.

* * *

Kurenai and Asuma ignored glances and made excuses to their curious and knowing students. They all had small grins etched on their faces. Both mentors saw Gai and his team coming towards them screaming out the Springtime of Youth.

Smiling, Kurenai waved to Gai to sit with them. He happily ran over with his students towards the dango shop,"Hello, my dear fellow teachers and friends! Are you and your youthful students out to bask in the evening sunlight and eat the delicious dango?! What a youthful scene!"

Asuma lit another cigarette, causing his and Kurenai's students to water up and cough. Sighing at Gai as he scared most of the civilians, Asuma took his cigarette from his mouth to calm Gai down.

Gai smiled and scratched the back of his head as he sat down on one of the dango shop's seats. After a few minuets, all the mentors dismissed their students, leaving time to themselves.

"Hey, did you guys hear about the chunin exams coming up in a month?", Asuma said.

Kurenai smiled,"Yes, I even plan to nominate my students." Asuma and Gai also planned to nominate their students.

"I also heard that the chunin exams are going to take place here, in Ko-", Gai stopped talking when he saw Kakashi. Asuma and Kurenai also saw Kakashi and smiled to eachother.

Gai called out to him,"Hey! Kakashi, my hip rival! Do you wanna eat some dango with us?!"

Kakashi, with Naruto still at hand, turned around and started to walk to the mentoring group. Kurenai, Asuma, and Gai widened their eyes considerably. "Wow, that's a new one.", Kurenai said as Kakashi actually didn't ignore Gai's request.

Naruto was smacking Kakashi's back until he put her down into a seat next to his. She widened her eyes as she saw the other two senseis and a guy with bushy brows. She shuffled awkwardly in her seat.

Kakashi smiled to her funnily and ruffled her hair. Kurenai saw this and almost choked on her dango. Asuma actually bit down on his cigarette, dropping the other half in the floor. Gai opened his mouth in an 'o' shape and kept on mumbling about youthful love.

Naruto's response to Kakashi ruffling her hair was a jab to his stomach. She glared at him and almost bit his finger when it was about to poke her face. Kakashi laughed mirthfully, and took a dango stick from Kurenai's plate and quickly put it into Naruto's mouth.

Almost instantly, Naruto's angry face became serene as she chew on the dango stick. Kakashi laughed out loudly again while petting Naruto on the head as if she was a dog.

Gai put his hands to his cheek while still mumbling about youthful love. Asuma and Kurenai still couldn't believe their eyes at what they were seeing. Even though it seemed like Kakashi was teasing Naruto, it is clearly shown that he was smitten with the small blond.

Kurenai, Gai, and Asuma discussed this in their own small circle about the two's relationship.

Kurenai started,"He's never actually listened to you whenever you called him to dango before, Gai."

Gai answered,"Of course, my youthful friend. My hip rival has always ignored me coolly."

Asuma blew out his smoke,"Yeah, but with that unpredictable brat? I never knew that Kakashi's into girls like that."

Kurenai smacked Asuma on the arm,"Shut up, love can go differently from different people." She glanced back at the pair. "I've never seen Kakashi ever like this. It seems he seems more...happier."

The two men gasped. Gai added,"Even those smutty books of his don't give this youthful aura on him."

Asuma sighed,"I wonder if even she can stop his timing habits."

Kurenai and Gai sighed thoughtfully on the mere though of Kakashi coming to jounin meeting on time. That would be the day that even miracles happen.

Asuma tried to get Kakashi attention, only to get the result of being ignored again. He tried to throw kunai at Kakashi, failing miserably when Kakashi caught all of the kunai and returning them in a violent manner. Sweating a bit, Asuma have up.

Kurenai smacked Asuma another time in the arm and told him,"You're disrupting them, Baka."

And with that, Kurenai, Asuma, and Gai left the dango shop to leave the two alone.

**(A/N: Thanks for reading guys. Sorry for some mistakes and such. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Constructive criticism is always welcomed.) **


	7. Chapter 7

**(A/N: Yayaaaaa! Another chapter! Hope you all like it. Enjoy! Thank you.)**

**Recap:**

_Asuma tried to get Kakashi's attention, only to get the result of being ignored again. He tried to throw kunai at Kakashi, failing miserably when Kakashi caught all of the kunai and returning them in a violent manner. Sweating a bit, Asuma gave up._

_Kurenai smacked Asuma another time in the arm and told him,"You're disrupting them, Baka."_

_And with that, Kurenai, Asuma, and Gai left the dango shop to leave the two alone._

* * *

By the time the clock reached 8:00 o'clock AM that morning, Sasuke was out training at Training Grounds 7. Working on his Jutsu mastering, Sasuke managed to hold on his Katon Jutsu for about a minuet.

Even with his accomplishment, Sasuke felt a bit odd that day, even though that day was filled with his usual activities. It was probably because there wasn't any team missions or training today.

In his head, Sasuke disagreed with those thoughts, seemingly because there had been similar days and they have been the same. Shaking his head, Sasuke continued on his training.

"Hey! Teme! I need your help on something!", Naruto shouted out.

Sasuke, at first, was surprised but glared at her approaching figure and replied,"Hn."

Naruto smiled largely,"Do I hear a yes?" Sasuke continued to ignore her. Naruto smiled even more,"Anyways, come with me, Teme!", she grabbed his arm and dragged him to the heart of Konoha.

"Let go, you Dobe!"

"Shut up, Teme! Just deal with it!"

"You shut up, Usaratonkachi! By the time you're done yelling at me, my ears will fall off!"

"Deal with it, Duckbutt!"

Sasuke had no time for a comeback when Naruto stopped abruptly, making Sasuke to flinch. Smirking deviously at a bookstore, Naruto giggled out,"Just wait, Old Man. I already warned you.", she mumbled.

Sasuke looked her disturbingly, then finally realizing what she was going to do. The face she was making was telling him everything - Naruto was going to prank someone especially badly today.

"Nope. I'm not going to get caught in your stupid plans, Usaratonkachi.", he turned around to try to walk away.

"Nope! You're not going anywhere just yet, Teme.", she said, getting ahold of his arm again.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes,"Why don't you get someone else to do your stupid plan. Like Kakashi-sensei or Sakura. Or even better yet, get that stupid mutt to do this with you. I'm pretty sure he'll agree.", Sasuke said, thinking about Kiba.

Naruto shook her head,"No can do. Kakashi-sensei and Sakura are busy while Kiba's grooming Akamaru or something."

"Too bad Teme. I need someone else to do this with me. I can't carry all this stuff by myself and it's no fun with only my shadow clones.", she stuck her tongue out. "If you do it, I'll try not to other you as much for a whole week. Please, please, please, please?", she continued to beg.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes again and said,"Tch. Whatever, Dobe."

"Yay! Let's go behind the store. That's where I hid all of the stuff.", she led him behind the store.

Disbelievingly, Sasuke took sight of what was behind the store - chickens. He looked at her and said,"How did they never find this? I mean, the chickens are so loud."

Naruto shrugged,"I dunno and I don't care. But let's get started.", she laughed excitedly.

Sasuke looked uneasily at her. Naruto smirked when she saw his face,"What, are you too _chicken_ to do this, Sas_uke_-chan?", she snickered.

Sasuke glared at her and then smirked,"Not in a million years, Dobe.", he glanced back at her,"What did they do to make you want to prank them?"

"He didn't give me a bag and he kicked me out of his store - literally.", she said angered.

He looked confused but said,"Where'd you get all the chickens then?"

She looked at him,"Remember when we cooped up all the chicken in Saneda-san's chicken farm. Well, he told us if we needed any chicken related favors, he would give it to is right? So, I thought about it, and I was like,_'hmmm, why don't I go to Saneda-san's farm and ask for the chicken related favor?' _And that was how I got all these chicken."

Sasuke looked blankly at her. Naruto could swear that she saw a tiny smile form on Sasuke's face. She laughed and teased him,"Haha Sasuke-chan. No need to hide it."

Sasuke glared at her and said,"Shut up Dobe. Just tell me the plan." Naruto looked him in the eye and grinned.

* * *

Inside the bookstore, the cashier looked uninterestedly inside the book he was skimming through. Just then, a familiar animal sound sounded below him._ 'What the heck?'_

He looked under to investigate the sound. "Wh-whoa!", he jumped backwards when he saw the one chicken in his walkway.

"Where did you come fro-", he gaped when he saw another chicken come out from the hallway. "What's going on in he-", he was taken aback again when five more chickens came from the hallway.

Now standing up, the cashier heard more chicken noises coming from the other side of the bookstore. Running to his destination, he saw that there were at least fifteen chicken in the crowded hallway.

Widening his eyes again, the cashier ran to the opposite again. "Where?", he said loudly as he saw the number of chickens doubled. Running back and forth, the cashier kept in getting the same results as before - the chickens doubled by the time he left them alone.

"Is this all in my head?", he said to himself. The chickens kept multiplying, filling up his store into cramped spaces. The chickens made messes and chewed on the books - not to mention doing their business.

"No, chickens, no!", he used his broom to try to swipe away the white beings. However, this only made the chickens poop more. The cashier turned around, seeing that his nice and clean counter was littered with chicken urine and feathers.

Running back to his counter, the cashier's face became disorientated when he stepped on something warm. "Oh, Kami-sama.", was all he could say when he slipped on it.

* * *

Sasuke bit his lip as the amusement set in. Trying to put on a straight face, Sasuke pinched his thigh hard in order to feel the pain overcome the laughter that was threatening to burst.

Naruto smirked as she took an egg and threw it on the cashier's butt. Sasuke choked while looking the other way.

The cashier moaned,"Not the eggs..."

Sasuke snorted out. Naruto tried to laugh more softly to not give away their hiding spot. Naruto threw another egg, aiming at the cashier's back. "Hehe, Teme. Lookie here.", she pointed out to the chickens near the cashier.

Naruto took out some chicken feed and threw it on the cashier. Instantly, the chickens started to eat off of the cashier. Naruto bellowed in laughter as Sasuke gave the slightest smile. However, they stopped laughing when the cashier said,"Who's there?"

Naruto looked at Sasuke to stay quiet. Sasuke just have her a you-were-the-only-one-laughing-Dobe look. Naruto just waved him off until some one came inside the bookstore.

Naruto gasped out in laughter when the customer gasped and literally said,"What the h-e-double-hockey-sticks is going on in here?!"

Sasuke and Naruto burst out laughing at that comment. Their laughter resided when Naruto fell out of her hiding space - the closet. Suddenly, more customers flooded in and saw her. Sasuke smacked his head with his palm and took the back of Naruto's collar to drag her out while running.

"You stupid usaratonkachi.", he said.

The crowd roared,"GET THEM!"

"Dang it.", Sasuke said.

"Oops?", Naruto said while gaining her speed on him. After fifteen minuets of running, Naruto saw a building and said,"Go up there!"

Sasuke ran up with her and rested on top of the building, whilst panting. Naruto saw the crowd down below and couldn't help but shout out,"What the h-e-double-hockey-sticks is going on in here?!"

The customer that said that before shouted out,"HEY!"

Naruto bellowed out in laugher and fell backwards with her hands on her stomach. Sasuke sat next to her and did the same. Naruto grinned to Sasuke and said,"Hehe, I didn't know the antisocial teme can actually laugh."

"Shut up, Dobe.", he said with a smile on his face.

"Hehe, you're smiling, Teme.", she said while pinching his cheeks.

"Take your hands off, Dobe."

"What, Princess Sasuke? Afraid that me touching your girly face will give you pimples?"

"Shut up, Dobe.", he gave her the same response. Behind them, the roof door was opened to a mob of people. "Freak. Let's get outta here, Dobe."

Naruto nodded and jumped from roof to roof while dragging Sasuke. "What are you doing, Dobe?! Get your hands off me!", he said with a slight hue on his face.

Naruto smirked when she saw Sasuke's apartment. Landing in the balcony, Naruto took Sasuke to open the back door.

Sasuke glared at her and turned his knob,"Tch, you're so dumb, Usaratonkachi."

Naruto just grinned at him. Proceeding to open his door, Sasuke's heart skipped a beat when someone shouted out,"SURPRISE!"

Sasuke gaped, syncing in the scene that was ahead of him. Kakashi lazily blew on his noise maker. Sakura was laughing while throwing confetti all over the place. Looking back at Naruto, Sasuke saw that she was grinning foxily.

Frowning his face, he tried not to smile when they all sang 'Happy Birthday' to him. To no avail, Sasuke ended up smiling just a little. Naruto ran up to Sasuke and punched him thirteen times. He glared at her laughing form, but raised a brow at the rectangular box in her hands. She stuck her tongue out and said,"Open it, Teme."

Sasuke took the box, which said was labeled 'For Teme' in chicken scratch. He smirked at it and opened the box carefully. Inside of the box, Sasuke's eyes glinted happily as he saw the solid black katana.

Scratching the back of her head, Naruto said,"Well, that's your b-day gift Teme. Actually, Kakashi-sensei was the one to buy it, but ya know, he said I could give it cause he's generous like that. So, that katana is from both of us, I guess."

Kakashi eyesmiled and ruffled Naruto's hair while walking towards Sasuke. He gave Sasuke a familiar orange book and whispered,"This was the age I started reading Icha Icha."

Sasuke looked dishearten at him, but took the book anyways. Sakura saw the gift and said to Kakashi,"Kakashi-sensei!?"

Kakashi waved Sakura off,"Maa, Maa, Sakura-chan. Sasuke is at the age where boys-"

"I don't wanna hear it!", Naruto closed her ears. Kakashi laughed at her; Naruto glared back at him.

Sakura's turn was next as she gave Sasuke a special edition set of shuriken and kunai with attachable explosive seals. She smiled and said,"They're special cause you never need to sharpen them. They always stay sharp no matter what."

Sasuke thanked her with a slight smile on his face while looking at all the presents that were in his hands. Naruto grinned and then went to his fridge to get the cake. When Sasuke saw the cake, he couldn't help but glare at Naruto, who was snickering.

Sasuke set his eyes on the cake shaped like a duck butt, but also couldn't help but to crack an amused grin when it was labeled on the side _'From Naruto (the next Hokage), Sakura and Kakashi-sensei! To the duck butt, Teme, because it's his birthday!'_

In the center of the onyx cake was in bold letters _'Happy Birthday, Teme!'_ Sasuke smile turned genuine as he asked,"How'd you get the baker to make this?"

Naruto laughed out loud. "No, no, no, me, Kakashi-sensei, and Sakura-chan baked it ourselves. I think we've made a good job on the shape cause you recognized it, dattebayo. Anyways, what baker would listen to the request of making a duck butt cake?"

Kakashi chuckled and took out the cake cutter. Walking over to the cake, he cut out a piece of the cake and gave it to everyone. Naruto whined,"But, Kakashi-sensei! I wanted to cut it!"

Kakashi shook his head sagely,"No, you might of cut your thumb off."

Sakura rolled her eyes, but laughed at the two's display and walked to the bathroom. Naruto frowned,"But we're ninja, dattebayo!"

Kakashi shook his head again and reminded again,"No, you might cut yourself. And by the way, you were the one writing on the cake, so it's only proper that I get to cut the cake." Naruto pouted, but accepted the cake that he gave her. She struggled when thanking Kakashi, which he only ticked her off even more when he said,"What Naru? Did you say something?"

Naruto stomped over to where Sasuke was and vented, only causing Kakashi to snicker even more loudly. Naruto glared at Kakashi, then glanced back to Sasuke while saying,"The nerve of that...argh!"

Sasuke sighed and said to her,"Hey, Naruto?"

Naruto looked shocked by the way he said her name. It wasn't the usual 'usaratonkachi' or 'dobe'. She answered,"Yeah, Sasuke?"

Sasuke looked embarrassed, but finally asked her,"Was it you?"

Naruto raised a brow,"Me what?"

"Was it you that planned this?"

Naruto widened her eyes slightly, but smiled genuinely at him,"Well, kinda, but not at the same time. It was both me and Kakashi-sensei. We had the same thing in mind, so we made it happen.", Naruto suddenly laughed,"Well, while we were busy pranking the cashier, Kakashi-sensei and Sakura-chan were here preparing the party."

Sasuke was dumbfounded,"But I've never told you the date of my birthday."

It was Naruto's turn to blush embarrassed,"Well...remember that time when we were still in the academy? We had that one day when Iruka-sensei was talking about dates and seasons when he suddenly told everyone to tell their birthdays to each other...so I kinda...", she scratched her cheek.

Sasuke gaped mentally,"But that was almost three years ago."

Naruto smile sheepishly,"Well, ya know. You just became my rival, so I was in the state of mind that I had to know everything about my rival to know their weaknesses, so..."

Sasuke bit his lip to keep from smiling, but couldn't help it. Naruto saw this and started to pinch his cheeks the second time that day. She laughed at his annoyed face as he tried to struggle from her arms.

Kakashi glanced back at his other two students and frowned just a bit. Scratch that, he was internally fuming at what caught his sight. He tried debating with himself, saying that this is how siblings or best friends acted. However, seeing the expressions Sasuke gave Naruto, it was almost like reading an open book.

Walking over the duo, Kakashi eyesmiled menacingly towards Sasuke. Sasuke saw the look cross on Kakashi face and frowned a little. Naruto turned around to see Kakashi, only cowering behind Sasuke. She felt her heart constrict a bit.

A tick mark appeared on Kakashi's forehead, now going behind Sasuke and dragging Naruto to the kitchen. Sasuke looked blankly and confusedly at the floor, finally taking in what just happened - Naruto was dragged to the kitchen. Reassuring himself, Sasuke just shrugged his shoulders, thinking up ways on how Naruto got in trouble.

* * *

"Yikes! Kakashi-sensei! I didn't do it!", Naruto screamed, defending herself.

Kakashi sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of his nose stressfully. "No, you're not getting in trouble."

Naruto calmed down,"Then why'd you give me your satan glare?"

Kakashi narrowed his eye,"What?"

"Ya know? The one that you did when you said we failed, but we actually passed, dattebayo.", she said with exaggerated hand signs.

Kakashi sighed a second time,"Okay, okay, enough with that. I have an important matter to discuss with you. In two days, you'll be going on a mission with Jiraiya-sama." Naruto looked confused. Kakashi then added,"- Ero-sennin."

Naruto nodded her head,"Ohhhhh." She thought to herself for a minuet,"Wait. What!? I'm going on a mission with the Ero-sennin?!"

Kakashi nodded his head,"Yes, you are, Naruto, and for a month. He's going to train you for the Sandaime's, mine, and his own reasons. I promise that both of you will be just fine. Actually, you guys are more alike than what you'd expect, Naru. I promise you'll like him.", Kakashi said with a sincere smile.

Naruto knitted her eyebrows together, but said,"Who said I couldn't do it, Kakashi-sensei?"

Kakashi widened his sole eye and then smiled largely,"You always come up with ways to surprise me, Naru.", he ruffled her hair again.

"Hey! Stop doing that! By the time I get home, I'm gonna get dreadlocks, dattebayo!", she complained. Kakashi laughed and almost ruffled her hair again until she ran out the door.

When he was left alone, Kakashi's smile faded as he slumped to the wall behind him. He sighed,"That was a close one."

* * *

_Three hours later_

"Bye, Sasuke-kun,", Sakura said with a smile and a blush,"see you tomorrow.", she waved at him, which he returned with a straight look on his face. Sakura blushed and almost stumbled as she ran back home while shouting out,"TAKE THAT, INO-PIG!"

Naruto looked startled at Sakura's retreating back, but smiled to Sasuke,"Bye, Duckbutt! I hope you smell like one tomorrow!", she said while shooting him a glistening smile. Sasuke glared at her and was about to say a comeback until she took off into the horizon.

Kakashi eyesmiled at Sasuke and said,"Bye, Sasuke. See you tomorrow. Oh, and don't forget to read your book." He wave at Sasuke until Sasuke stopped him.

"Wait, Kakashi-sensei."

"Yes?"

Sasuke had a light tint on his face,"Would you mind if...you taught me kenjutsu?"

Kakashi smiled behind his mask,"Sure."

Sasuke nodded as Kakashi turned around to walk the opposite way,"Oh, and but the way, Sasuke. Happy birthday.", Kakashi said while waving his hand.

Sasuke looked at Kakashi and smiled, because today, Sasuke finally knew why today felt a bit odd.

* * *

_Two days later_

"Freak, freak. Freak, I'm gonna be late!", Naruto panicked as she got her clothes ready for a month long trip. Gritting her teeth as she looked at her kitchen cupboard, she almost cried because she didn't get to eat ramen that morning.

Finally, jumping out of her apartment window, Naruto jumped from roof to roof, catching sight of the green entrance gates. Using all her energy, she got to the gates in less than five minuets, being right on time.

Team 7 was there to greet Naruto. Naruto walked over to them and grinned toothily,"Bye everybody!" She sprinted towards everyone and tackled them all in a big bear hug at once. Sakura smiled and returned the hug, as well as everyone else (even Sasuke).

"Naruto-baka, when are you coming back?", Sakura asked.

Naruto released from her hug with everyone and answered,"Probably in a month, Sakura-chan."

Sakura sighed and gave Naruto a medic kit,"Here; to keep you safe cause I know you like to get hurt - a lot.", she said thinking about the time Naruto punctured herself with a kunai on the Wave mission.

Naruto saw what she was implying and screamed out,"That was one time, Sakura-chan!"

Sakura nodded and agreed with her sarcastically. Naruto fake cried and went over to Kakashi for comfort. "Kakashi-sensei, Sakura's being a big meanie to me."

Kakashi eyesmiled and ruffled her hair while saying,"Bye Naruto, and I hope you get dreadlocks."

Naruto eyed him and growled lowly in her throat. Kakashi laughed and took out his book nonchalantly. Sasuke said his last greetings to Naruto,"Bye, Dobe. It's not like this training's going to improve your dobish ways anyways."

Naruto stalked to Sasuke dangerously with homicidal rage colored on her face. Sasuke smirked. Naruto was about to launch at him until Jiraiya held Naruto from doing so. "Whoa, whoa there, Gaki. Don't start a fight this early in the morning.", he said with a ramen bowl on his hands. Blowing on the noodles, Jiraiya ate them right in front of Naruto.

Naruto looked longingly at the silken noodles, cooked to perfection. She stared Jiraiya down as if he was her prey. Jiraiya had a weary look on his face as he saw Naruto eyeing him down. "Ar-are ya gonna eat that, dattebayo?"

Jiraiya looked at his noodles and took another slurp,"Yup."

Naruto looked devastated,"But, I didn't eat breakfast."

"Your problem, Gaki." Naruto looked at the ground depressingly, not noticing Jiraiya's amused smile. "Hahaha, Gaki. I had a hunch that this would happen. Good thing I got another to-go meal.", he handed her the container behind him.

Naruto gaped at Jiraiya as if he was her savior. Team 7 sweatdropped at her abnormal ramen antics. Jiraiya smiled as he took out a pair of chopsticks. Naruto's mouth quivered,"Tha-thank you, Ero-sennin. You're the best! I think I'm starting to like you!"

Jiraiya smiled cockily,"Well, thank you for the humble words, Gaki.", he walked out of the gates,"Let's go!"

Naruto sprinted with the noodles in her hands,"Yeah!" She left with a final wave to her team.

* * *

"Ne, Ne, Ero-sennin? What are you gonna teach me today, dattebayo?"

Jiraiya looked at her,"I thought I told you not to call me that!", he said while peeping the girls who were playing down in the river.

Naruto grumbled,"C'mon, Ero-sennin. Isn't it your mission to train me?"

Jiraiya waved her off,"Yeah, yeah. Sure, whatever you say."

Naruto pouted,"Ero-sennin, pleeeeeeease. I promise I won't bother you if you teach me the basic steps of what you're gonna teach me."

Jiraiya thought,_'Hmmmm, not a bad offer. Well, I do have to train her in using the Kyubi's chakra. Probably...oh ho ho! Yes! That Jutsu would give me enough time to peep for three day! Probably even for a whole week!'_, Jiraiya stood from his spot,"Fine, Gaki. As you wish." Jiraiya then did some hand signs and then penetrated the floor with his left hand.

Naruto gaped as smoke was shot out and a toad appeared from behind it. The toad croaked, taking it's tongue out, showing and giving Jiraiya a long scroll.

Jiraiya nodded,"Thanks Gama. See ya around."

The toad spoke back,"Goodbye Jiraiya. Visit Mt. Myōboko some time. I hear Fukasaku-sama's been missing his old student."

Jiraiya grinned and then waved him off,"Yeah, yeah. Go off now, Gama." Gama waved, and with a puff of smoke, he was gone.

Naruto widened her eyebrow at the toads talking,"Wow! That frog can talk?!"

Jiraiya shook his head,"Not frogs. Toads. And yes, some can talk."

Naruto smiled excitedly as Jiraiya rolled out the large scroll on the floor.

Naruto raised an eyebrow at the signatures written in blood in the slots. Jiraiya said,"Okay, this here is a summoning scroll to the toad contract. I will not lie, this'll probably be one of the most hardest summoning a to contain due to the steps it takes to be accepted by the toads. Even though it is one step, it is hard. The step is to summon the Toad Boss, Gamabunta, with a massive amount of chakra. If you get too little chakra, not even a toad will appear. So just try your best and summon all the chakra you got, kiddo."

"Wait. You're gonna teach me how to summon those toads?", Naruto cheered,"So how do we summon the Toad Boss?"

"Here, first you have to sign your name in blood. Then, after that is completed, you give a blood offering to the toads in a line formation and add as much chakra as you can into the scroll. The toads'll hear you calling as you say Kuchiyose no Jutsu, and if you're worthy, Gamabunta will just appear."

Naruto grinned,"When can I start?!"

"Now.", Jiraiya handed her the scroll. Naruto laid it out on a straight path and winched when she bit into her thumb. Quickly trying to write her name down before her thumb heals, Naruto completed out her name with chicken scratch handwriting.

Jiraiya was behind the bushes, occasionally giggling and blushing through and through.

Naruto ran sweat down her forehead as she bit her thumb again, making a straight line run through the sealing scroll. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!", she shouted out. A large smoke screen appeared, making Naruto anxious of what will appear. After the smoke cleared, a large tadpole was revealed.

Naruto ran over to Jiraiya and said,"Is this Gamabunta?"

Jiraiya narrowed his eyes on her, but turned around,"Whoa. Wasn't expecting that. I though this one'll appear after your tenth try.", he sighed,"But this one isn't Gamabunta. Description: Gamabunta is an extremely obese, red frog who wears a black cloak. He also smokes, has a patch over his eye, and uses a tanto. Hope this helps."

Naruto nodded her head sarcastically and continued her training with a pout.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!", she used a disturbingly large amount of chakra, only to get the huge tadpole again. Crying out in frustration, Naruto did her process one more time.

* * *

Kurama suddenly opened his eyes, showing the slit pupils. Narrowing his eyes, something felt oddly familiar at the place he was held. Growling out in confusion,**"Where the heck am I at?"**

Sitting up right, now, Kurama heard noise from the outside. _'Awwww, darn it! Gotta try it again!"_

Alarmed at the familiar voice, Kurama widened his eyes while looking at his reflection in the water. Noticing that there was water and there were bars in front of him, Kurama's frown deepened. **"Is this what I think it is?" **Kurama then looked beyond,**"Is this the kit's doing?"**

He heard Naruto's voice again, shrouded in thoughts of confusion,**_'Why is the kit much more puny than before? And why is she trying to summon those stupid frogs? Shouldn't she already have that done?'_**

Kurama sighed as felt the disorientated balance in the air. Shutting his eyes tightly, Kurama saw all the possibilities,**"What did you do, Kit?"**

Being cut off by his thought, Kurama felt Naruto's chakra being drained. Finally noticing the problem,**"I see now."** He frowned, feeling his chakra a bit disturbed until remembering how he had stored some of it in Naruto's time traveling scroll.

He widened his eyes again in realization,**"Time travel? Does that mean...?"**, he thought for an answer,**"It can't be. I felt my chakra being departed from her body completely. It just can't be."** Gritting his teeth, Kurama then growled out,**"Am I in that person's Genjutsu?!"**

He thought rationally,**"That also can't be, though. I should be merged with the others as the Juubi."**, he stopped as he rested his head on his paws,**"Or am I really back in the past?"**

Kurama looked beyond and saw through what would be Naruto's eyes,**"Then that means she must be training with her 'Ero-sennin'."** His throat swallowed largely as he did see the gama sennin through Naruto's eyes. **"I can't believe it. Did she complete and activate the scroll before the brink of death? I don't feel a Genjutsu around this plane."**

He then narrowed his eyes when he saw Naruto again, who was struggling,**_'Then why is she faking to show her capabilities by summoning those dumb frogs?- unless she is hiding her capabilities or she can't remember.'_**

Kurama thought of an idea as he peered through Naruto's mind,_**'Why can't I see her memories of the war? I only see her genin memories and back.'**_, he widened his eyes and shouted with an alarmed look on his face,**"These memories are different then her past genin memories! How can this be?"**

He dug through deeper, seeing a sudden change in Kakashi's behavior. Shaking his head, Kurama finally noticed what had happened after fitting in the puzzle pieces - it wasn't Naruto who traveled back in the past, it was Kakashi. He narrowed his eyes as he also gave thought on this place being an alternate universe.

**"I'll have to look in more deeper in this, but first, let's give the gaki what she needs."**, Kurama concentrated his chakra with Naruto's, giving her a small part of his chakra.

* * *

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!", Naruto shouted out as sweat bled through her forehead. Panting hard at the sudden feeling from her left arm, Naruto saw the most largest smokescreen she had ever seen.

A jolt of anxiousness filled her as she awaited for the smoke to clear. Suddenly, a large croak sounded, causing Jiraiya's attention to cut loose from the river and to Naruto. Jiraiya's mouth went jaw slacked as he saw what sighted him,"I can't believe this.", he said with widened eyes.

Naruto's eyes went even larger than Jiraiya's as she cheered,"Ero-sennin! Ero-sennin! Did I do it right?" She jumped up and down at what she had done.

One croaked,"What happened now?"

Another,"Sorry, I was very clumsy on my landing."

The last one,"Jiraiya? Is that you?! Why'd you summon me now out of all times?!"

Jiraiya didn't have any words as he stood as straight as a board at the sight of the great three - Gamakichi, Gamahiro, and Gamaken.

**(A/N: Bless all of you who have read this story and this chapter. Thanks for reading!)**


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